March 24, (THEWILL) – A civil society organisation, under the auspices of Akwa Ibom WASH Policy Cluster (IBOMWASH+), sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and state stakeholders in water sector, has urged the Akwa Ibom state government on the need to fund the water sector in the state.
THEWILL recalls that the water resources sector management and regulation bill was signed into law by the present administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel in 2022.
Despite the assent given to the water bill and the establishment of the Ministry of Lands/Water Resources, the water management agency, AK-RUWATSAN and the state waste management agency, over 77 percent of the population in Akwa Ibom State remains under threat of epidemic, occasioned by poor access to water, hygiene and sanitation.
Speaking during the 2-day event to mark the World Water Day, titled, “Accelerating Change”, in Uyo, The project director, IBOM WASH Plus, Prof Gabriel Umoh, ranked the state 11 percent in ODF, with about 80 percent of the population without access to water and clean toilet facilities.
According to him, With only one out of the 31 local government areas, Nsit Atai, being certified Open – Defecation – Free (ODF) status in 2019, Umoh, a professor of agricultural and development economics, said such negligence of the water sector has completely exposed the population to danger of water-borne diseases and stressed the need for serious reforms to reposition the sector.
Umoh, who is also the CEO, African Human Development Centre (AHDC), tasked the state government on the need for more political will and other stakeholders to bridge the gap through proper funding and strengthening of the state WASH policy.
“In spite of the efforts so far by government, our work in the state WASH sectors has shown that there still exists huge gap to be filled if the state must keep to the mission of the United Nations’ sustainable sanitation for all in 2030, as well as achieve the Executive Order 009 targeting ODF status in 2023.
“The budgetary allocation to WASH sector has been very low; WASH budget as a percentage of the state’s annual budget has remained less than one percent. The state is yet to have a clearer ODF roadmap and WASH policy”, Prof Umoh stated.
However, the commissioner for lands and water resources, Captain Iniobong Ekong (rtd), who was represented by Mrs Asumpta Lawrence Udousoro, head of department (HoD), in charge of the water resources directorate, stressed the government’s commitment to addressing the WASH sector challenges.
He said, “The state government is putting up modalities to revamp the sector by rehabilitating the dilapidated infrastructure for adequate provision of water for its citizens. We are optimistic that in the nearest future, water will be provided in sufficient quantity and quality, and adequately managed for sustainability.
“This will also reduce incessant drilling of boreholes across the state, which could be catastrophic in the near future.”
