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Stakeholders Charge FG On Urban Water Supply
Stakeholders in the national urban water supply and sanitation sector have urged the Federal Government to declare state of emergency on urban water supply and sanitation as a veritable means of revitalising the sector across the country.
They also said they have set strategic agenda that would serve as catalyst in raising the bar in urban water supply and sanitation to ensure easy access to potable drinking water while checking diseases caused by poor sanitation conditions in densely populated centres in the cities.
Rising from a national retreat on “Revitalizing the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector” held in Abuja, recently, the more than 350 stakeholders from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development brainstormed on ways to fashion out appropriate solutions that could revitalize urban water supply and sanitation in Nigeria.
Declared open by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who also used the platform to launch the Nigerian WASH Diagnostic Report, the 350 stakeholders included minister of water resources, chairman of Senate Committee on Water Resources and chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, 24 state commissioners for water resources, 32 chairmen of state Houses of Assembly Committees on Water Resources, 29 general managers/managing directors of state water corporations/boards, and 15 representatives of development partners such as World Bank Group, African Development Bank, United States Agency for International Development, and WaterAid as well as 240 other critical players in the water and sanitation sector.
While noting the demand-supply gap in urban water supply resulting from rapid population growth and increasing urbanization, and coupled with the current economic realities, the stakeholders agreed to think out-of-the-box, and come up with practical solutions that will rapidly improve access to pipe borne water and adequate sanitation in urban areas.
Regretting the deplorable state of the nation’s urban water supply and sanitation 17 years after the approval and implementation of the National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy 2000, the stakeholders urged the states to show more commitment as well as explore the possibilities of innovative funding and private sector participation in urban water supply and sanitation, insisting that the sector must be run as a business for sustainability.
In a communiqué at the end of the retreat, and signed by Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Hussaini Adamu, the stakeholders noted that Nigeria’s WASH sector was in critical condition and requires immediate attention; saying that in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in WASH, Nigeria must invest, at least, three times more than the current level of investment in the sector.
They stated that the vicious cycle of poor performance of state water agencies (SWAs) can be reversed through focused investments, financial and administrative autonomy, proper accountability with adequate incentive regime, and institutionalization of performance agreements, regretting that lack of political will had impeded efficiency and effectiveness of the sector.
The stakeholders called for a declaration of state of emergency by Mr. President to enhance the political-will for accelerated development of urban water supply and sanitation while charging all states to develop and or approve water policies and laws aimed at developing strategic master plan for urban water and sanitation infrastructure development driven by sustained investment plan.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.