Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has restated his administration's unwavering commitment to putting an end to water scarcity in Enugu metropolis and other towns across the state within a timeframe of 154 days.
The governor expressed his optimism that ensuring the availability of water would eliminate the need for individual water storage towers in households.
This assurance was given during a courtesy visit by members of the civil society organization, Network of Water Rights Initiative (NEWARI), at the Government House in Enugu on Monday, July 3, 2023.
Governor Mbah had made a campaign promise to deliver safe and clean water to every home in the state within 180 days of assuming office. He emphasized that in the 21st century, residents of the state should have the convenience of turning on their taps and receiving water.
Additionally, the governor commended the organization for their interest in sanitation and hygiene, highlighting that by providing water to schools, hospitals, and markets, proper toilet facilities would also be made available, thus contributing to the eradication of open defecation.
“We think that Enugu should not be one of the states having water challenges because the state has plenty of water sources.
“We have 154 days left for water to start flowing in our homes. We are mindful of what we say and we know what the problems are because we have done a diagnosis of them.
“Besides the Enugu metropolis, we are already liaising with the local government chairmen to see that those in Nsukka, those in other towns and those in the rural areas have their own water schemes from different sources.
“We can access water in no distant time because we want people to get water from a distance of not more than five minutes and we are building a resilient system that can supply water every day of the year and not intermittently,” Mbah said.
Expressing gratitude to the organization as a watchdog, the governor acknowledged their crucial role in helping achieve the administration's objectives concerning water availability.
In his remarks, Mr. Temple Oraeki, the Board Chairman of NEWARI, stated that the organization, known as the WASH Rights Network, was a coalition of 23 civil society organizations in the South-East region of Nigeria.
He explained that the group's objective was to enhance access to clean water, sanitation, and quality hygiene services in the South-East through evidence-based advocacy.
He said that his administration was not focusing on only the Ninth Mile Water Scheme but was also working on Orji River Water Scheme.
“We are also dealing with other challenges in the downstream and we believe that over time people will no longer need to build water storage towers in their various homes,” he said.
