2019: Vote for rural-based politicians, stakeholders urge Bauchi electorates

ELECTORATES in Bauchi state have been advised to vote for rural-based politicians who are aware of their challenges in relation with water, sanitation and hygiene and are ready to provide remedies for such as political activities heralding the 2019 general elections continue to hot up in the country.

The stakeholders which were drawn from three local government areas of Ganjuwa, Ningi and Toro in Bauchi state made this known on Tuesday in Gunjuwa local government area during a ‘Vote4WASH’ senatorial cluster meeting, organised by the Network for Water and Sanitation in Nigeria (NEWSAN), a WaterAid of Nigeria project with funding from the Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation HSBC.

The Stakeholders alleged that most of the urban- based politicians are hardly seen in thier constituencies after they were elected, but the rural based politicians interact with the masses closely and they know what affects them.

They further appealed to politicians seeking electoral offices to make commitments by signing pledge cards on Water, Hygiene and Sanitation if elected, pointing that lack of environment sanitation was one of the major causes of outbreak of epidemics in communities.

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Two representatives of Ningi and Warji local government area of the state, Adam Ibrahim Mohammed and Ayubu Idris stated that the provision of water facilities and environmental sanitation was one major needs of the people, noting that the electorates should demand for from thier leaders the provision of portable water and improved environmental sanitation facilities.

“Out of the 175 schools in Ganjuwa local government, 104 has no toilet facilities. We have 476 water facilities at the local government, out of which 71 are nonfunctional. In addition, we need waste management facilities and improved latrines in schools, hospitals, motor parks and market places” Mubarak Inuwa, a representative of Ganjuwa local government said.

On his part at the meeting, the Programme Manager of Women Development Association for Self-Sustainance, Mr Sukumun Ezekiel hampered on the need for stakeholders to educate citizens in thier respective communities on the need for them to demand for prioritised needs in the area of health, education, security amongst others.