CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Cross River State Commissioner for Water Resources, Barr. Bassey Mensah, has assured stakeholders that the recently passed State Water and Open Defaecation (OD) Prohibition Laws will soon be assented to by Governor Bassey Otu.
Mensah gave the assurance on Monday during a one-day capacity-building workshop on Area-Wide Sanitation held at the Ministry’s Conference Hall in Calabar.
The event brought together stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector to build institutional capacity and scale up the State’s Open Defaecation Free (ODF) status.
“The governor has directed that the Water Law and the Open Defaecation Prohibition Law be made available to him for assent and consideration,” the Commissioner disclosed, adding that the laws will be signed once the governor returns.
He expressed confidence in the government’s commitment to improving the living conditions of citizens, particularly at the grassroots, noting that the assent to the laws will mark a significant step in enhancing access to clean water and sanitation across the State.
The Commissioner commended Self Help Africa and the State Task Group on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (STG-WASH), led by Permanent Secretary Engr. Okon Ita, for their continuous support and dedication to achieving ODF status in the State.
He assured stakeholders of increased collaboration for the successful implementation of WASH programmes.
In a presentation, Mr James Myers, Lead Consultant of the Institute of Development Studies, emphasised the need for institutional strengthening within the WASH system, noting that his team is working to expand the ODF status from six local government areas to all 18 in the State.
Myers explained that the training aimed to identify and address existing gaps and challenging contexts to improve the effectiveness of WASH programmes, stressing the importance of ensuring equitable service delivery, especially to underprivileged communities.
The workshop, supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under the WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, and implemented by Self Help Africa, marked a significant move towards addressing sanitation and hygiene challenges in the state.
The workshop also served as a platform for stakeholders to share experiences, identify challenges, and explore partnership opportunities.
Participants agreed on the need for synergy and sustained effort to achieve statewide ODF status, expressing optimism that the imminent assent to the laws would herald a new era of progress in water and sanitation services.
Since its inception, STG-WASH has worked closely with development partners like Self Help Africa to enhance clean water and sanitation access.
One of the notable successes is the implementation of WASH systems in Yala Local Government Area, laying the groundwork for broader adoption across the State.
