Civil society coalition canvases quick passage of Water Bill by Senate

A coalition of over 1000 civil registered civil society organizations under the auspices of Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD) has called on the Nigerian Senate to consider as matter of urgent national importance the passage of the National Water Resources Bill which had been passed into law by the House of Representatives.

The coalition said that the benefits of the bill outweigh its demerits adding that the importance on water in national development has been summarized in the statement that emanated from the UN Budapest Water Summit of 2013 viz, “A sustainable World is a Water-Secured World.”

National Coordinator of CSCSD, Dr David Tola Winjobi made the appeal on Tuesday at a round table discourse on the National water resources Bill before the senate in commemoration of the 3rd Anniversary of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Abuja.

Winjobi said that the bill, when passed, would be a compendium of all water related bodies which were already in existence as the National In-Land Water-ways and National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna.

The discourse, organized by CSCSD in conjunction with Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, called on religious bodies and the media to join the campaign for quick passage of the bill by the senate.

Achieving the SDGs is dependent on the political will of our leaders and government at all levels only need to walk the talk and stop paying lip service to development issues.

According to him, a new national survey has shown that about 130 million Nigerians live without access to improved sanitation even as it revealed that Nigeria loses N455 billion annually due to poor sanitation.

“Civil Society Coalition on sustainable development is not lagging behind as it has instructed its members across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to #Act4SDGs in their various localities. Its own adopted theme is; ‘Towards safe adequate and sustainable water supply services and sanitation for Nigerian People,’ he added.”

“Prioritising the MDGs goals is necessary because it is obvious government may feign not having enough the resources to bring about the realization of the 17 goals by 2030.

“One of the goals that need to be prioritized is goal six which mandates the governments to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all while the second target of the goal encourages government to provide access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and open defecation.

Though the bill may have its pitfalls, the importance and benefits of the bill are what one needs to consider,” he maintained.

Earlier, Rev father John Patrick Ngoyi and other stakeholders appealed to the senate to take a cue from the House of Representatives and ensure speedy passage of the bill for the betterment of the citizenry, saying that more than 80 percent of diseases in developing countries are water related.