A recent survey by the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Lands and Water Resources in conjunction with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) has urged Governor Udom Emmanuel and the state government to expedite action on water resource Bill as the state has been ranked as one of the highest in open defecation.
The Head of Department (HoD) in charge of the Water Resources Directorate, Ministry of Lands and Water Resources, Assumpta Udousoro, disclosed this yesterday at a Water Health and Sanitation (WASH) forum organized by the African Centre for Human Development (AHDC) and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Uyo, the state capital.
Speaking at the event held at the Luton Park Hotel, Udousoro, revealed that only Nsit Atai, one out of the 31 Local Government Areas in the state, has been certified by the survey and given clean bill with open -defecation-free status.
She, therefore, stressed the need for holistic action by stakeholders with effective sensitization, education and enlightenment programmes to stem the menace.
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of AHDC, Professor Gabriel Umoh, blamed the menace on the poor funding of the water sector and implementation of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) policy by the government and other stakeholders.
He pointed out that “only a paltry 1.31 per cent of budgetary allocation goes to the water sector” which he said requires between five and seven per cent to tackle problems in the sector adequately.”
Urging Governor Udom Emmanuel to reposition the sector in order to be able to address WASH challenges effectively, Umoh recalled that the House of Assembly had since July this year concluded work on the Water Bill and transmitted it to the governor for assent, but regretted that “it is still yet to be signed into law.”