By Onyinyechi Kanu
In a bid to end the worrisome effect of lack of potable and incident of drinking contaminated water and to regulate the sewage disposal in Imo State, Imo State House of Assembly has passed for the second reading, a bill for a “law to establish Imo state water supply and sewage services regulatory commission and other matters thereto; It is captioned “A bill for a Law to establish the Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and other matters incidental thereto”. Also is a bill for a “Law to establish Imo State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and other matters Incidental thereto”.
The bill which was presented by the member representing Oru West and Imo 9th Assembly Majority Leader, Hon. Chigozie Nwaneri, was keenly debated at the hallowed chamber on Wednesday, December 11, 2019.
In his presentation, Hon. Nwaneri stated that the sewage disposal in the state has caused a lot of havoc to our soil as a result, the waters that Imo citizens are getting from boreholes are highly contaminated which is dangerous for human consumption. “From the pictures of some of our rivers taken some years back and now, show that our rivers are dying as a result of waste products deposited in it on daily basis”, he stressed.
According to him, the USAID came and ran tests in our waters which proved that our water is contaminated. Hence the bill will empower the USAID Aid in conjunction with Imo water corporation to give us clean.
He said that Imo is lucky to be among the six prospective beneficiary of this grant in Nigeria, coming from the USAID to improve our water system adding that USAID will help us acquire some expensive equipments like pumps to distribute water to our various local government areas.
Hon. Nwaneri averred that the regulatory system will make sure that sewage from soak-away pits are disposed properly without causing harm to our soil, either by adding chemicals into it or converting it to fertilizer. He urged the assembly to support the bill to be passed into law because it is cheaper to have a clean pipe borne water than to buy diesel to power generating sets to get a borehole water that is harmful to the health.
Contributing, the member representing Ehime Mbano, Hon. Emeka Nduka, supported the bill in its entirety because it has to do with life because good water means good life. He reminded members of the Assembly that the state is not spending much in the provision of the clean water, when commissioned.
Hon. Amb Uche Ogbuagu, member representing Ikeduru state constituency, while contributing his opinion stated that water works is pari passu with life.
He also urged the executives and relevant bodies involved to ensure that nothing stops this bill from being accented to law.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Chief Dr. Chiji Collins while contributing to the deliberations, committed the bill to the House Committee on Public Utility, and charge them to report progress on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.
