On Thursday, the Bauchi State House of Assembly passed into law the bill to establish the Bauchi State Urban Water and Sewerage Corporation, Bauchi State Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, the Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, and the Bauchi State Water Regulatory Commission.
The House, during plenary, accepted and adopted the report by the House Committee on Water Resources on the Bill as presented and laid before the House by the Chairman, Hon.Auwal Hassan.
While presenting the report, the Committee Chairman stated, “You may recall that the House had mandated our Committee to carry out assignments on the said bill and report back in 10 days for the House to consider and pass the bill into law.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Hon. Members, the Bill was collectively harmonised to be called the Water Sector Law when passed by the Hon. House, which is a policy direction for effective water service delivery required by donor partners and organisations to have easy access to information on where to come in and donate based on their priority area of interest,” he explained.
According to him, the methodology used by the committee was the resolve to visit some states that had passed the bill into law in the North-East and the North Central and interact with the stakeholders in the water sector to achieve the set objectives.
Auwal Hassan added that the Committee, in the course of its assignment, travelled to states that had passed such laws in order to gain firsthand knowledge and interacted with them for smooth consideration.
He also said, “Furthermore, we found out that states like Adamawa, Jigawa, Taraba, Katsina, Niger, Imo, Delta, and Osun had passed the bill into law and are now operational. The Committee visited Adamawa and Jigawa States, where we shared understanding with the stakeholders on their mode of operation.”
He added, “We are glad to inform you that, during our assignment, we found out that Bauchi State is among the 9 States of the Federation selected to access the USD700 million World Bank-assisted through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for Urban, Small Town, and Rural Water Supply Project for States that have the legal framework (i.e., the Harmonised Water Sector Law).”
According to him, for Clarity, the Bauchi State Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation’s operations cover communities with over 20,000 people, e.g., major towns like Bauchi, Azare, Misau, and Jamaare, to mention a few.
Also, the Bauchi State Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, when Established, will cover Communities with populations ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 people, e.g Magama-Gumau, Liman-Katagum, and MararrabanLiman-Katagum, Soro and others
Furthermore, the Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency operates in pure rural communities with less than 5,000 people, i.e., towns within the local government area.
The Committee observed that the Bill, as provided in Part I Section 3, Subsection (6), stipulates qualifications for individuals to be appointed to the Board, requiring them to have qualifications in Engineering, Law, Accounting, Business Administration, Physical or Environmental Science, or other relevant disciplines.
This was amended to require that a person appointed to the board must possess at least a Senior School Certificate or any other relevant qualification in water management with added experience.
Additionally, Section 109 subsection (a) originally stated that the Chairman nominated by the Commissioner of Water Resources should hold specific qualifications as mentioned in Section 3, Subsection (6) above.
It was amended to state that the Chairman nominated by the Governor, subject to the confirmation of the House of Assembly, should possess qualifications as stated in Section 3, Subsection (6) above.
Section 109(c) initially required three representatives of each senatorial district in Bauchi State to have a degree in Engineering, Accounting, Environment, Public Health, or Sanitary Health, along with at least ten years of related experience.
This was amended to require three representatives of each Senatorial District in Bauchi State to have at least a Senior School Certificate or any other relevant qualification, coupled with added experience in water management.
Section 109(e) originally provided for the appointment of the Director General of the Commission by the Governor.
It was amended to indicate that the Director General of the Commission is to be appointed by the Governor.
Section 110(1) initially outlined that the Chairman’s tenure of office would be 5 years, with an option for one subsequent term of 2 years, and no more.
It was amended to state that the Chairman’s tenure of office shall be 5 years, with the option for one subsequent term of 5 years, and no more.
Section 110(2) originally stated that the tenure of the members would be 4 years, with the option for one subsequent term of 2 years, and no more.
This was amended to indicate that the tenure of the members shall be 4 years, with the option for one subsequent term of 4 years, and no more.
The Committee recommended that the report be considered by the House for the establishment of the Bauchi State Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation Agency.
The establishment of this agency would grant the state access to federal fund allocations, following the Harmonised Water Sector Law, and contributions from donor organizations. This will enable the seamless provision and maintenance of clean and accessible water supply at the grassroots level.
Also, the report will be considered by the Hon. House for the establishment of the Bauchi State Water Regulatory Commission to regulate wastewater and other irregularities in the water sector.
He then prayed that the House should consider all the recommendations, adopt them, and allow the bill to go to the 3rd reading, which the House did, eventually passing it into law, and directing the Clerk of the House to transmit the same to the Executive for assent.
Recall that the advocacy for the passage of the Harmonised Water Sector Bill into law was led by the Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) and facilitated by WaterAid Nigeria and the Women Development Association for Self-Sufficiency (WODASS) Partnership.
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