06/11/2025
TANK COLLAPSE AT HYPREP WATER PROJECT IN GWARA COMMUNITY, RIVERS STATE
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has launched a formal investigation after the overhead water tank of its newly commissioned water scheme in Gwara Community, Khana Local Government Area, Rivers State, collapsed on Tuesday, just days after the installation was inaugurated.
The facility, one of two water projects commissioned last Saturday by the Federal Ministry of Environment alongside HYPREP, was intended to serve approximately 14 communities. According to multiple sources the collapse occurred about three to four days after the commissioning.
In a statement, HYPREP acknowledged the incident and revealed that the Project Coordinator, Nenibarini Zabbey, had constituted a high-level committee to visit the site and determine whether structural failure or third-party interference caused the collapse.
The committee is reported to have observed “broken walls and wreckages all over the ground” at the site.
Commenting on the incident, the Board of Trustees Chairman of HYPREP and indigenes of Gwara – Emmanuel Deeyah – described the event as “unfortunate” and emphasised that he had no involvement in the awarding of the contract for the project. He also appealed for calm while the investigation proceeds.
The collapse has triggered public concern and criticism. A prominent Ogoni traditional leader, Anthony Waadah, called the incident “a national embarrassment,” and urged swift action from the federal government, including a forensic audit of HYPREP contracts.
As investigations continue, communities in Gwara find themselves temporarily without the new facility’s promised water supply, raising questions about oversight and project ex*****on in the region.