In the build up to 2019 elections, the current Bauchi stategovernor, then candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, Bala
Mohammed, spared no word in his quest to providing the good citizens of thestate with potable, accessible and available water for both industrial anddomestic usage.It is against this background that governor Bala whilecontesting for the governorship position signed a document prepared by WaterAidNigeria, promising to provide the people of the state with good and availabledrinking water, if he eventually emerged victorious.
According to WaterAid Nigeria, in Bauchi State, 35candidates signed the document promising to ensure that water, sanitation andhygiene is made available to the people if they are elected into public office,14 won the election, top among them is the present Governor, Bala Mohammed.
The campaign by WaterAid Nigeria for the provision ofpotable water to Nigerians came at a time when the people of Bauchi state werebattling with acute shortage of the essential commodity.
WaterAid which said its media campaign reached over 5million people across the states, through traditional and social media addedthat it helped position Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) as a key campaignissue during the 2019 general elections.
The Non Governmental Organization disclosed that politiciansin several states made public commitments to tackle the WASH crisis in Nigeria.
It maintained that, beyond WASH, the campaign contributed toefforts by well-meaning Nigerians to make a shift towards issue based campaignin Nigeria’s general elections as witnessed in 2019.
Experts say clean water, basic toilets and good hygienepractices are essential for the survival and development of children.
Recently, at a launch of “Keep your PromisesCampaign” in Bauchi State, Acting Director of Programmes, WaterAidNigeria Mr. Ukeme Essien, commended the effort of the government and allstakeholders in addressing the challenges of water, sanitation and hygiene inBauchi State.
Essien said, “according to the 2018 WASH NORM-NBS, inBauchi State, 76.8 percent have access to water, 77.8 percent have improvedsanitation and 15.6 percent have good hygiene.”
In spite of that, Essien maintained that it still leaves agap of 45.4 percent of people that do not have access to water and sanitationwhile 5.5 million lack good hygiene.
“This also affects schools and health care centres. In2018, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA) reported9,725 cholera cases as a result of lack of basic access to WASH.” TheActing Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Mr Ukeme Essien had said during theevent.
According to him, the rate, if not properly taken careof would impede on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal 6 targetson water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030.
Mr. Essien said WaterAid Nigeria and its partners, have aspart of efforts, implemented a citizens’engagement project called the ‘vote4WASH’ campaign that focused on leveragingthe 2019 general elections to educate and empower citizens to effectivelydemand for the actualisation of their rights to water and sanitation from dutybearers.
“The campaign was a success with 35 signed pledge cardsfrom electoral aspirants, including, and am very pleased to say, HisExcellency, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State. It is however, important tobuild on these commitments till they are actualised.” The WaterAidofficial noted.
According to him, sustainable development was impossiblewithout responsive governance and institutions that can hold public officeholders accountable to deliver on their roles and responsibilities.
He said that the ‘Keep Your Promises’ campaign, which is thesecond phase of our electoral advocacy, was aimed at empowering citizens inBauchi State and the media to use various accountability platforms to engageelected officials to keep their promise and commitments to providing improvedWASH services throughout Bauchi State.
He called on all elected public officials to work towardschanging the narrative on water and sanitation services in Nigeria by ensuringincreased investment in the WASH sector in order to cater for the needs of thepeople.
“We also call on the media and Civil SocietyOrganizations to support this process by continuing to advocate for improvedWASH access and promote citizens’ engagement to deliver on sustainable WASHservices”, he added.
According to WaterAid, “as people, while it’s importantto hold our government accountable and demand for right to improved water,sanitation and hygiene, it is equally important to ensure obligations liketariff payments are made and facilities provided are treated with diligence.”
To work the talk, Governor Bala Mohammed in the month ofJuly this year, awarded a multi billion naira water project to bring to an end,water scarcity in the state and improved sanitation and hygiene as championedby WaterAid.
Speaking at a flag off ceremony of water project in thestate, the Governor said that US $378,000 has been released to the BauchiState Urban Water and Sewerage Corporation as part of efforts to findlasting solution to the shortage of water supply in the state.
“My administration has taken measures to find lastingsolution to the challenges facing water supply as efforts are ongoing toensure improvement in the sector before 100 days of my government,”the Governor had assured.
Governor Bala who said that the project include;rehabilitation of a dam (GubiDam), water treatment plants, reservoirs,laying of pipelines and installation of meters, amongst others, added thatit is designed to provide reasonable, access to water services to all,and is expected to be completed by 2021.
He added that the dam was constructed in 1980 toprovide one million gallons of water, but was later upgraded in1994 toprovide 10 million gallons because of the increase in population.
“The dam needed to be upgraded to provide 75 milliongallons of water, following the influx of people from neighbouring stateswhich had over-stretched the existing facilities,” said
Governor Bala.
Speaking during the occasion, Governor Bala Mohammed saidit was in line with his campaign promises that he recently signeda multi billion naira water supply project, a contract for theimprovement of water supply in Bauchi State.
The speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, AbubakarSulaiman who represented the Governor added that with that move, Governor Balahas practically demonstrated that he was committed towards fulfilment ofthe promises he took for the people of Bauchi state and the WaterAid.
