As the in-coming Government of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha prepares to mount the leadership of Imo State, he has been urged to partner with Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD) which is the Coalition working under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the state.
Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, the Chairman of the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD), Imo State Chapter, Chigozie Uzosike called on the in-coming Governor to work closely with Coalition for technical content of the achievement of SDGs in the state. Uzosike noted that going by the Goal 6 of the 17 goals, by 2030, the state should achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all, access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and that the need to end open defecation must be taken seriously, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations would have been captured.
Continuing, Chigozie Uzosike noted that there is need to improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally, adding that implementation of the SDGs in the state will substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
Uzosike who is also the Convener, Coalition of Journalists for Good Governance (COJOGG) hinted that if the in-coming Governor partners with CSCSD members in the state, they will work with the government to build the capacity, support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
He regretted that Imo State which use to be known as the cleanest state, East of the Niger has been turned into isolated slum, especially that he bothers about the hazards and contamination of diseases that are caused by the waste heaps that greet one on arrival to the state. He cautioned against dumping of refuse on the major roads, while calling on the in-coming Governor to bring back the era of using incinerators for effective waste disposal.
