NEWARI, a task team member organization of the End Water Poverty Coalition based in the United Kingdom and a member of the Pan-African Network, Africa Water Justice Network, has made it its mission to address water poverty in the region and beyond.
During the meeting, the Coordinator and Board Secretary of NEWARI, Amb. Mrs. Amaka Nweke JP, commended Governor Mbah for his willingness to collaborate with civil society organizations and other institutions from different sectors. She emphasized the importance of their support in achieving rewarding water-related interventions in Enugu State.
"In compliance and pursuance to our mandate, as a devote Network of Civil Society Organizations obsessed with the special interest to end water poverty in our region and beyond, we commit to an unflinching support to the efforts of government and other key partners in ensuring a rewarding water related interventions in Enugu State"
Amb. Nweke expressed gratitude for Governor Mbah's leadership and his understanding of the civil society's vital role in society. She acknowledged the Governor's own background in the civil society sector as the founder of the Peter Mbah Foundation. The foundation has made a significant impact on numerous lives, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, through various initiatives in the health and WASH sectors. The Governor's understanding of the importance of civil society organizations and their contributions to society was acknowledged and appreciated.
The board chairman of the organization, Mr Temple Oraeki said that NEWARI aims to improve access to quality water, sanitation and hygiene services in South East through the instrumentality of evidence based advocacy, effective monitoring and accountability mechanism which is essentially tied to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) number 6, which places emphasis on universal access to water and sanitation.
"We are very elated to learn of your commitment to make water available to homes of ndi Enugu within your 180 days in office as well as to improve sanitation and hygiene in the state. This is a daunting task but we are optimistic that with the strong political will and capacity, which you have demonstrated with the few days in office, the task is achievable", he said.
Governor Mbah, in his response, emphasized the significance of partnerships in strengthening systems and promoting development. He acknowledged the impact that civil society organizations can have in these areas and expressed his commitment to collaborating with them. The Governor assured the visiting coalition that his administration would continue to lend a listening ear to civil society organizations, recognizing the value they bring to the table.
The Governor said there was no reason why in the 21st century, the people and residents of the state should not turn on their taps and get clean water, affirming that water will start running in Enugu homes in the next 154 days.
“We think that Enugu should not be one of the states having water challenges because the state has plenty of water sources. There is no reason why in the 21st century, we should not turn on our taps and get clean water.
"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 the problems.
“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, and can access water in no distant time because we want people to get water from a distance of not more than 5 minutes.
"We are building a resilient system that can supply water every day of the year and not intermittently. That is why we are not focusing on only the 9th Mile Water Scheme; we are also working on Orji River Water Scheme, we are 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.
The governor commended the organisation for their interest in sanitation and hygiene, saying that with the provision of water to schools, hospitals and markets, they will have toilet facilities, thereby helping to end open defecation in the state.
"We are happy that your organisation as a watchdog will make us achieve everything we want to achieve as it concerns water", the governor stated.
The meeting between Governor Peter Mbah and the Network of Water Rights Initiative (NEWARI) signifies a strong commitment to addressing water poverty in Enugu State. With the Governor's dedication to partnership and collaboration with civil society organizations, there is hope for significant progress in improving water access and sanitation, ultimately transforming the lives of the people in the state.
