The recent steaming barrage of news about Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) and Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water, Inc. (COBI) worries me for several reasons. After reading through related reports about this issue, the very recent ones really unsettled me.
My attention suddenly focused on the reports that the COWD Board of Directors didn’t appear, except for one, in a very crucial meeting last April 30—the very day of yet another deadline for COWD to actively participate for an amicable settlement of a dispute.
That worries me and I believe must also be a reason for the rest of Cagayanos to be worried, primarily, because such lack of enthusiasm means lack of accountability to the people that COWD is mandated to serve. And, that lack of proactive participation will result to water not flowing out of our faucets.
I am so very worried. And so must be all of my fellow COWD customers.
The April 30 negotiation meeting is the latest of several in the past months, all of which were dealt with professional mediocrity by the COWD management. At stake in this negotiations is our water supply.
I am in such state of disbelief that my much needed water flowing out of the taps is in the hands of irresponsible executives clearly lacking that sense of accountability. And worst, they have the audacity to display such disregard last April 30 when all of us are in the midst of El Niño’s heat wrath.
I am terribly worried that our COWD’s management and board of directors are incapable of prioritizing nor able to constructively participate in a decisive negotiation meeting to resolve this issue or predicament.
Do these people really deserve the seats of position?
Another thing that worries me is that whatever this COWD-COBI predicament, that needs to be settled, I believe is a contract issue. I’ve read through media articles about its legal and business jargons.
I am not in a position to judge the merits of whatever arguments are contained therein, as such are matters that are for the legal and management people of the parties involved to discuss and settle professionally. After all, the two parties are the ones who agreed on a contract that bound them in the first place.
I am worried that, instead of the negotiation meeting, which is the proper forum, the issue is repeatedly submitted to the bar of public opinion. I am worried with how investors will perceive our city.
COWD, you worry me. Are you run by an incompetent board?