WORLD WATER DAY: PROF IBE COMMENDS GOVERNOR IKPEAZU FOR ‘WASH’ ;ADVOCATES FOR INCREASE IN QUANTITY OF POTABLE WATER ACCESSIBLE TO NIGERIANS

Chinwe Ugele, Umuahia

As the international community marks the 2022 World Water Day, Chancellor of Gregory University Uturu, and gubernatorial hopeful, Prof Gregory Ibe has called for urgent increase in the percentage of potable water accessible to Nigerians.

In a goodwill message to commemorate the annual event, with the theme, ”Groundwater: Making Invisible Visible”, Prof Ibe stated that “everything should be done not only to increase the quantity of water harvested from the ground but also to guarantee the quality and purity of such free gift of nature that is made available to people for consumption”.

He said that since according to United Nation sources, groundwater is credited with providing about half of all drinking water worldwide, 40% of water for irrigated agriculture and about one third of water required for industry, “the importance of this natural resource to the ecosystem makes further research and investigation on its sustainability and adaptability imperatively critical”.

While appreciating the ingenuity of developing economies around the world in sourcing, drilling and pumping groundwater as potable water for consumption , Prof Ibe however warned on the environmental dangers of indiscriminate digging of water boreholes without statutory impact assessment investigations.

In his words, “While appreciating the ingenuity of our people in privately sourcing for groundwater which they eventually harvest as drinking water, I want to specially commend Governor Okezie for bringing sanity, orderliness and quality assurance to the sector through the launch of the Abia State Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Policy(WASH) and the subsequent declaration of state of emergency on water last year.

“Going forward, leveraging this invaluable policy document produced by the present administration, my team has developed a comprehensive reform blueprint for the water sector in Abia, that will not only revive our old water schemes, but shall completely revolutionize such critical areas as sourcing, harvesting, purifying and delivery of clean fresh water to our people, deploying ICT solutions in the process.

“With my background as a World Bank and UN Consultant of many years standing, I intend to deploy my vast knowledge of the UNDP agenda for the water sector in the over all Sustainable Development Goals blueprint to drive efficient and effective water sector reforms in Abia, thereby achieving and possibly exceeding the targets of Governor Ikpeazu’s WASH policy.”

The United Nations in a bid to underscore the importance of potable water for consumption by all and draw attention to the developments within the Water sector declared every 22nd of March as World Water Day.