2019: Vote for water, sanitation, NGO urges Bauchi electorate

Ahead of the forthcoming 2019 elections, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) known as Network for Water and Sanitation in Nigeria (NEWSAN) has charged electorate in Bauchi state to vote for politicians who will commit themselves to providing potable water and improving environmental sanitation and hygiene in the state when elected.
The NGO gave this charge yesterday during an interactive meeting with community members drawn from Ganjuwa, Ningi and Warji local governments of Bauchi Central senatorial District tagged ‘VOTE4WASH’ held in Ganjuwa local government secretariat.
Team leader of the NGO Mr.
Ezekiel Sukumun explained that the program was organized by WaterAid Nigeria and funded by Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) aimed at improving water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) which are the major problems in Nigeria especially in rural areas.
He noted that the NGO would encourage community members in the state to distribute pledge cards to aspirants seeking various seats to make written commitments that if given the mandate; they would execute the WASH projects.
Contributing, a participant at the meeting and Chairman Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Warji local government chapter Mr. Ishaku Ayuba opined that if an elected legislator or an executive who signed the pledge cards later fails to redeem his promise, he could be reminded, recalled or sued by the electorates.
Also speaking, the Monitoring and Evaluation officer of Ganjuwa local government, Mubarak Inuwa who commended NEWSAN for organizing the program revealed that the local government has 104 schools without toilets, 39 health centres without latrines and eight markets out of nine does not have public toilets.
He called on government to construct more public toilets in the area and enact law against open defication so as to avoid outbreak of diseases.
NGO welcome the Governor, in a show of solidarity and to reaffirm their support for his reelection and that of President Buhari come 2019.