Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has decried the high rate of conflicting mandate in the water sector which makes players referees, thus creating problems of accountability and transparency.
Executive Director, Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC), Reuben Habu, highlighted the challenges yesterday, at a policy framework discourse on Water Resources Bill before the Senate by Civil Coalition on Sustainable Development in commemoration on the 3rd anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in Abuja.
Habu added that “fragmented sectoral development that had led critically to near neglect of quality management of water posed a disturbing threat.”
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He is, however, hopeful that the challenges enumerated could be resolved if the Water Resources Bill is expeditiously passed.
The ED revealed that: “NIWRMC has issued a number of licenses to qualify applicants and we are monitoring their activities to ensure they operate within the terms and condition of the licences given to them.”
Speaking on how to achieve the SDGs, National Coordinator, Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development, Dr Tola Winjibo, noted that government at all levels only need to walk the talk and “stop playing lip service to development issues.”
He concluded that “Although all the goals are important, they, however, do not have equal weight. Prioritising the goals is necessary because it is obvious government may feign not having the resources to bring about the realisation of the 17 goals by 2030,” he said.