Akwa Ibom state governor, Pastor Umo Eno says his government is set to establish a new Ministry for Water Resources and Sanitation.

Governor Eno made the announcement on Wednesday while addressing participants at Day 3 of the Akwa Ibom Dialogue for interpretation and implementation of the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda blueprint.

The Governor who decried the state exclusion in water related benefits from the central government and donor agencies, noted that the creation of a designated Ministry for Water Resources, will fully integrate the state in the United Nations Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, programme and reposition the state to implement the existing Water Law as well as tackle other water and sanitation related issues.

The creation of the Ministry for Water Resources is a timely response answer to the advocacy of a cluster of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Akwa Ibom Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy Cluster.

The Ibom WASH Policy Cluster have been in the fore front of pushing for the reformation of the WASH sector of the state.

It is believed that with the creation of the new ministry, important documents that are awaiting the approval of the State Executive Council, such as the WASH policy, WASH M&E framework and the WASH project roadmap, will be approved, with expectations that the state government will domesticate the Executive Order 009 by the former President Muhammadu Buhari mandating all sectors in the country to be open defecation free by 2025.