Governor Ishaku of Taraba state signs WASH law

- Taraba state governor, Darius Ishaku, has assented to the State Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Bill

- A non-governmental organisation, Connected Development (CODE), has commended the governor for his decision

- Chief Executive of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, said the government has rebuilt residents’ trust in government institutions to deliver on improved public services

A non-governmental organisation, Connected Development (CODE), has commended the Taraba state governor, Darius Ishaku, for assenting to the State Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Bill before the stipulated deadline.

Chief Executive of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, responding to the news, stated that the Taraba government, including its House of Assembly, has proven itself as the people’s parliament by rebuilding residents’ trust in government institutions to deliver on improved public services.

CODE had with the support of the USAID Effective Water Sanitation and Hygiene (E-WASH) Services Program, engaged with Taraba policymakers in November, urging that they erase bottlenecks and accelerate the processes for ensuring the WASH bill was signed to Law.

Lawal added that assenting to the bill shows the readiness of the state to provide access to adequate safe water and basic sanitation that will promote the health, dignity, economic well-being and improved livelihood for residents.

“Now that the bill has been passed to law, we hope to see the commitment of relevant agencies such as the state ministry of water resources, and the Taraba Water and Sewerage Corporation (TAWASCO), towards implementation,” he said.

Lawal, however, noted that it is important for us to intensify civic advocacy and hold the State Government accountable in its responsibility to implement the State WASH policies as stated in the law.

“The WASH Law positions Taraba state on the path to harnessing investments that will meet the WASH needs of the people.

“Although there are thorny issues that the Law seeks to address, the adoption of best practices on potable water and sanitation that meets the needs of Taraba residents tops the list,” he added.

Before the WASH law, the state had been making intentional efforts to address sanitation issues, especially in urban areas.

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CODE had initially begun a countdown on social media to the assent of the bill, now it plans to track the implementation of the WASH Law in Taraba.

According to it, the long-term impact of a structured WASH system is the eradication of open defecation, the provision of WASH facilities in schools and strategic public spaces, the reduction of water-borne diseases, among other remarkable effects.

Recall that last year, WaterAid Nigeria entered into a strategic partnership with Connected Development (CODE), a non-governmental organisation, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the profile of WASH related issues amongst political office aspirants and promote citizens' engagement in WASH governance.

The collaboration was geared towards broadening and sub-nationalising the Vote4WASH campaign in Edo, Kano and Lagos states to make WASH a burning issue across the country.

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