As WASH stakeholders left the training, one message rang clear: Cross River’s future health and development depend on what is prioritised today.
By TheInvestigator
The Cross River State Task Group on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (STG-WASH) Chairman, Engr Okon Ita has issued a stern warning about the dire state of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in the state, citing chronic underfunding as a major barrier to eradicating open defecation and safeguarding public health.
Speaking during a one-day WASH Service Delivery Training on Monday at the American Corner, Calabar, Engr Ita, who is also the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Water Resources, did not mince words as he called for urgent and increased government investment in the sector.
The training, themed “Enhancing WASH Service Delivery through Improved Budgeting, Funding, and Accountability,” drew budget officers from multiple Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). It was organised by BudgIT, a partner of Self Help Africa (SHA), on its WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme funded by UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Engr Ita stressed that without a robust budgetary commitment, Cross River’s goal of achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by the national deadline remains a far-fetched dream. He challenged MDAs to demonstrate political will by committing no less than 20% of the state’s annual budget to WASH interventions.
“It is unacceptable that a basic human right like access to clean water and sanitation continues to be treated as a low priority,” Ita declared. “We are finalising legislation to criminalise open defecation in the state, but laws alone won’t solve the problem. We need strategic funding and sustained public health action.”
The STG-WASH Chairman underscored the economic and health costs of poor sanitation, warning that outbreaks of preventable diseases will persist unless urgent corrective steps are taken. He also reminded participants that although the Earth is covered in 70% water, only 1% is accessible for human use, making responsible and sustainable water management non-negotiable.
Encouraging inter-ministerial collaboration, Ita urged budget planners to raise awareness among decision-makers and incorporate WASH as a critical development priority.
“This workshop isn’t just another training; it’s a wake-up call. If we’re serious about development, WASH must be at the heart of our budgetary decisions,” he added.
In his remarks, Mr Joshua Otei, State Representative of BudgIT, echoed Ita’s concerns. He noted that the workshop was part of a strategic initiative to bridge persistent service delivery gaps in Cross River’s WASH sector.
“Our goal is to build the capacity of government officers to budget more realistically, fund adequately, and spend accountably. Sustainable development cannot be achieved when the foundation—access to clean water and sanitation—is unstable,” Otei said.
He outlined the training’s core objectives: improving budget planning and execution, promoting needs-based project delivery, increasing transparency in fund utilisation, and fostering innovative financing and private sector involvement in the WASH space.
Otei also called for broader attention beyond the pilot LGAs of Yala and Obubra, where the WS4H programme is implementing interventions, warning that many other local governments are on the brink of sanitation-related public health emergencies.
“It’s not just about numbers and allocations. It’s about life. Cross River must act now before a preventable crisis spirals beyond control,” he concluded.
As WASH stakeholders left the training, one message rang clear: Cross River’s future health and development depend on what is prioritised today.
See pictures:
