From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Residents of Enugu metropolis have been urged to join in monitoring the progress of the fulfilment of Governor Peter Mbah’s promise of providing portable water in every home within his 180 days in office.
The Network of Water Rights Initiative (WASH Rights Network), who made the call said the monitoring was necessary to hold the state government accountable and ensure it delivers on promise made.
Governor Mbah had during the 2023 election campaign, promised to provide access to clean drinking water to the people of Enugu within 180 days from the day of his inauguration.
But, with just 30 days left for the fulfilment of the promise, the WASH Rights Network said it was driving the process of monitoring the progress made in fulfilment of that critical campaign promise.
WASH Director, Temple Oraeki, in a statement issued in Enugu on Tuesday, noted that while recognizing that access to clean drinking water was a basic human right that should not be denied anyone, it was necessary to commend the government of Enugu state for taking the bold step to set a target to put an end to “this violation of human rights in Enugu State by ensuring that every citizen and residents in the state have access to clean drinking water.”
He stressed that lack of access to clean water had, had debilitating impacts on the health and socio-economic wellbeing of residents of Enugu State for far too long.
Oraeki therefore, called on all stakeholders, including civil society organizations, media houses, and concerned citizens, to join in monitoring the progress of the Enugu State government in fulfilling their promise.
He said, “The WASH Rights Network is a network of over 20 grassroots civil society organizations focused on advocating for access to clean water and sanitation, decided to monitor the progress of the state government in fulfilling its promise of providing access to clean drinking water to the people of Enugu within the stipulated timeframe.
“The Network believes that through collective efforts, we can hold the government accountable and ensure that they deliver on their promise.
“As part of the countdown, the Network will be adopting an evidence-based approach to document any progress made, which will include site visits, interviews with stakeholders, weekly accountability radio programmes, and an interactive online feedback platform to collate feedback on the status of water supply in different localities within Enugu Metropolis from the public.
“The Network will also be sharing feedbacks from the field with the government while construvtively engaging them to ensure that they are aware of the importance of fulfilling their promise and the negative impacts of not meeting the target.”