The recent article by Dahiru Yusuf Yabo titled “The Cyclical Failure of Water Governance in Sokoto State” attempted to portray the water crisis in the Sokoto metropolis as a product of systemic decay, while carefully distancing himself from any personal responsibility. Such a narrative deserves a robust and unapologetic rebuttal, particularly because it omits a crucial, undeniable fact: Yabo was not a distant observer or an innocent critic—he was an active, high-ranking participant in the very water sector he now seeks to crucify the Ahmed Aliyu administration for. Yabo’s critique of the Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration is a masterclass in historical revisionism, where the architect of a crumbling edifice points fingers at the mason trying to fix his problems.
For the sake of clarity and public record, it must be stressed that Dahiru Yusuf Yabo was twice entrusted with the heavy responsibility of managing Sokoto State’s water sector as Commissioner for Water Resources. His first tenure was under Governor Attahiru Bafarawa (2005–2007), and his second was under Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (August 2022–May 2023). In both instances, separated by nearly two decades, he woefully failed to deliver sustainable solutions to the chronic water crisis Sokoto metropolis faced. During the Bafarawa administration, public dissatisfaction with the water crisis reached a fever pitch that Yabo was eventually redeployed to another ministry—a move that served as a clear, official indictment of his lack of capacity to address the systemic deficiencies that he presided over.
It is, therefore, profoundly disingenuous for Yabo to present himself today as an impartial analyst and well meaning citizen that cares. He is not. If the water crisis is indeed “cyclical,” as he suggested, then the burden of accountability must also be cyclical. One cannot hold a seat at the table of power during two different decades of decline and then claim the moral authority to indict “successive administrations” while exempting oneself from the tally. Yet, this is precisely what Yabo attempts to shamelessly do. He has cast aspersions on the Governor Aliyu administration, which, despite being in office for a relatively short period, has demonstrated a level of commitment to water infrastructure that was conspicuously absent during Yabo’s various tenures. In truth, Yabo’s attempt to shift blame while overlooking his own record exposes his article for what it truly is: a political hatchet job designed to demonize the incumbent administration and score cheap points for the opposition.
Yabo, ought to know that the citizens of Sokoto State have long memories. And that they vividly recall his years of stewardship, not for any meaningful structural reforms or vision, but for the chronic, soul-crushing scarcity that defined their daily lives. Under his watch, public water supply effectively ceased to exist for many neighborhoods. In its place, a “tanker economy” flourished. Households were forced to depend on the familiar, rhythmic clinking of water vendors—popularly known as “mai ruwa”—moving through the streets with trucks of jerrycans. These were years defined by hardship, uncertainty, and a total loss of public confidence in the State Water Corporation. When a citizen can no longer turn on a tap in a modern city, it represents a fundamental breach of the social contract—a breach that Yabo presided over not once, but twice.
During Yabo’s tenures, the root causes of the crisis – deteriorating infrastructure, lack of maintenance, unreliable power supply, submerged boreholes, obsolete pumping equipment, and declining treatment capacity—persisted under his direct watch and were left to fester like an untreated wound. Infrastructure does not collapse in a vacuum; it decays gradually when neglected, starved of critical maintenance, and deprived of operational support. To now list these failures as if they are new discoveries is the height of hypocrisy. It is telling that the very challenges he highlights as “cyclical” are the same ones he failed to break when he held sway as commissioner.
To understand the depth of the challenges confronting the Governor Aliyu administration, one must look at the “lost years” between 2015 and 2023. The administration of Governor Aliyu Wamakko had recognized the looming catastrophe and launched six major water projects aimed at providing long-term, solutions for the Sokoto metropolis. These initiatives were designed to bypass the obsolete colonial-era pipes and create a modern distribution network. However, during the subsequent administration of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal—where Yabo served his second stint as Commissioner—these projects were effectively abandoned. Critical investments were allowed to sit dormant, equipment was left to rust, and the city’s water security was sacrificed on the altar of presidential ambition.
More troubling than the abandonment of projects is Yabo’s absolute silence regarding the state of the water sector inherited by Governor Ahmed Aliyu in May 2023. When the current administration assumed office, they did not meet a functioning utility; they found a sector in profound distress, bordering on state-sponsored sabotage. Intake facilities had been systematically vandalized. High-capacity generators and critical mechanical components had been stolen. In a shocking display of lawlessness, pipes transporting water from Kware to Sokoto were excavated from the ground and sold for scrap. Overhead tanks, borehole fixtures, and generating sets across rural and semi-urban schemes were equally dismantled. Even the massive equalization tank along Kontagora Road was reportedly removed entirely. This was not just neglect; it was asset stripping, a literal gutting of the state’s lifeblood.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu inherited this legacy of ruin. Yet, unlike previous administration that met the crisis with silence, he embarked on a series of decisive, and difficult interventions. To address the perennial water crisis in Sokoto State, the government is implementing a multi-billion naira integrated water infrastructure plan focused on both urban and rural areas. The six abandoned Wamakko-era projects were immediately revived. To date, four of these—including the Tamaje, Old Airport, Gagi, and Runjin Sambo schemes—have been completed and integrated into the grid. Recognizing that the erratic national power supply was the “Achilles’ heel” of the water system, the government is transitioning towards energy sovereignty. Multiple solar-powered water facilities – more than 150- have been deployed across the metropolis and rural communities, ensuring that even when the grid fails, the pumps do not.
The reference to ₦15 billion in expenditure must also be contextualized. Restoring a system neglected for years would inevitably incur higher costs due to inflation, currency fluctuations, vandalism, and the deterioration of existing infrastructure. Suggesting that funds previously described as “75% committed” automatically guarantee project completion disregards the complexities of restarting abandoned projects and fulfilling inherited contractual obligations.
When you factor in the “vandalism tax,” the hyper-inflation of replacement parts, currency fluctuations for imported machinery, and the technical complexity of restarting abandoned civil works, the investment is not just justified—it is a bargain for the survival of the state. Suggesting that funds previously “committed” by past governments should have guaranteed results ignores the reality that much of that equipment was either never installed or was stolen before it could serve a single citizen.
Beyond the “hardware” of pumps and pipes, the Aliyu administration is instilling a “software” of accountability and maintenance—concepts that were foreign during Yabo’s time. Heavy-duty generators, transformers, and treatment components are being rehabilitated. The government is also addressing the quality of the water itself, enhancing the capacity of treatment plants to ensure that the water reaching homes is safe, potable, and compliant with international health standards. This is a practical, structural approach, a far cry from the lack of action of the previous administration.
Historical context is essential in assessing water crisis. The Sokoto water crisis is not a 2023 phenomenon; it is a multi-decade accumulation of failure. By omitting his own role in this history, Yabo’s attempt to selectively rewrite the past to serve a partisan present has no doubt failed. Constructive criticism is a vital part of democracy, but it only holds weight when grounded in personal accountability. One cannot set a house on fire and then complain about the smoke like Yabo attempted doing.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu has made it abundantly clear that access to clean water is a fundamental right, essential for public health, sanitation, and economic productivity. The administration declared an emergency on the water crisis from day one because it understood that a city without water is a city in crisis. Today, the familiar sight of “mai ruwa” is beginning to recede as pipes have been laid and pumps are powered. The transition to solar energy, the dredging of the Bakalori, Goronyo, and Luga dams to restore raw water intake, and the replacement of 60-year-old machinery are all steps towards a permanent solution.
In conclusion, Dahiru Yusuf Yabo’s attempt to shift blame demonstrates the very “cyclical failure” he describes—not a failure of governance, but a failure of integrity among those like Yabo who were entrusted with responsibility,but who woefully failed. He was a principal actor during the periods of chronic scarcity, yet he now poses as an external critic. The people of Sokoto State don’t deserve selective criticism and historical distortion. They deserve reliability, transparency, and a government that delivers on its campaign promises. Under Governor Ahmed Aliyu, that is exactly what they are finally beginning to receive. The cycle of neglect has been broken; and the era of restoration has begun, through decisive action, technical solutions, and the revival of the initiatives by the Wamako administration and its own solutions.
It’s only when these projects are completed can the people of Sokoto State expect the reliable and safe water supply that they had long been denied.
By Emmanuel Ado
