NGO calls for emergency action on water

By Punarimam Fehintola

A non-governmental organization Global Rights has called on government of Nigeria to take proactive measures in addressing the issues facing water supply and also the deprivation of communities facing the lack of water and contaminations affecting water in Nigerian and treat these issues as a matter of emergency to avoid further disaster as it may occur in the nearest future.

The Executive director of Global Rights NGO Abiodun Bayeiwu disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja where she stressed the urgency in solving the water problem Nigeria is facing and lack of government’s adequate attention in tacking these problems.

She further said “Nigerian government must govern the way we use and manage our water resources and direct what our energy plants need to do as it is sad how every Nigerian produces its water and energy by themselves that is not how it should be, that’s why government need to come in fast and solve these problems because we are water distressed already”.

Baiyewu also urged citizens to become more  responsible to their needs and demands to know what the politicians are doing to improve their lives and must begin to hold them accountable  “we need to treat water as the most important natural resources  and putting the spot light on water and begin to see development and see government taking action and be energy smart and water smart”.
Meanwhile, public affairs analyst Jaiye Gaskiya also said the issue of water in Nigeria has become an issue that was birthed from lack of planning “is not as if we are not a planning country if we look back the history of the study of Nigeria development we have always been planning but we need to integrate ministries who are connected like agriculture, water resources, national industrialization and synergize for upward achievements and development and achieve a common goal”.

Jaiye also said policy inconsistency has been dragging Nigeria backward therefore there is need to start seeing public governance impacting on lives and citizens having interest in it, “as citizens we must be interested in who becomes our leader look at the last general election with all the noise on social media less than 30% came out to vote out of 82million registered voters in a country of 200 million people.  Citizens are completely passive connected to the public service and that is what we need to get that back if not the leaders will continue to do whatever they like and get away with it”.