ENUGU — The Enugu State House of Assembly has passed a bill that will not only improve water supply and sanitation in the state but involve active community participation.
Presenting the bill for a law to provide for the right access to basic water and sanitation services, the institutional framework and the regulatory framework for the water and sanitation sector, the roles of government and the private sector and other connected matters (HB. 4) 2020, Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, Leader of the House acknowledged failed attempts of successive governments to grapple with lack of access to portable water.
“Government after government have done their best to see that Ndi Enugu have access to portable water to no avail;
“Recently, after deliberations of the water committee, a sum of N600million naira was committed to a water company to ensure availability of water in the state,” Ezeugwu revealed.
“Though water availability has increased as the state now generates more water than before, this bill seeks to ensure that efforts of government get better by harmonizing all other existing laws on the water to ensure that all water agencies are empowered to do better,” the lawmaker said.
“Most importantly is the inclusion of the communities in the fight for water in the state; citizen/community participation will boost maintenance culture ensuring the sustainability of government efforts in water interventions in the state,” the Leader said.
Ezeugwu, a member representing Udenu constituency further revealed that captured in the new bill passed into law is the platform empowering government agencies to educate the masses on the right places to cite their boreholes.
He revealed that many endanger the lives of their loved ones and citizens by wrongly citing boreholes near fences, soak away pits and foundation of their buildings.
Speaking also in favor of the bill, Chinedu Okwu member representing Aninri constituency in support of the bill said, “75% of Enugu State is covered by coal and so it is difficult to get portable water across the state, hence the need for this bill”.
Lending their supports to a speedy passage of the bill, other lawmakers unanimously supported the bill.
In his remark after the passage of the bill, the Speaker of the House, Edward Ubosi commends his colleagues, clerk and staff of the House of Assembly, WaterAids, and Ministry of Water Resources for their inputs in this bill that seeks to ensure water availability in the state.
Meanwhile, The Enugu State University of Education, Ihe, bill (HB.4) 2021 sponsored by Ikechukwu Ezeugwu has scaled through first reading.
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