Taraba gov bans use of polythene bags

Darius Ishaku, governor of Taraba state, has banned the use of polythene and plastic bags in the state to boost clean environment.

Ishaku announced the ban and the introduction of ‘paper bags,’ on Monday, during the launching of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) policy in the state.

The governor also declared a ‘state of emergency’ on the water, sanitation and hygiene sector, saying he would soon send an executive bill to the state house of assembly to legalise the ban.

He lauded USAID and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA), the development partners, for their intervention in boosting water supply in the state.

He charged the state water supply agency to ensure constant maintenance of water pipes for better service delivery.

According to him, the state government had keyed into the WASH project as part of efforts to ensure the provision of potable water to the people of the state.

“Because of the passion my administration had on water supply, we have embarked on a N7 billion Jalingo Primary Water project to complement the African Development Bank (AfDB) water project in Jalingo to cater for the growing population of the city,” he said.

“We are also making efforts to improve water supply across the state and our efforts are yielding results.”

Emmanuel Gowon, the commissioner for water resources, had earlier commended the governor for his efforts in improving the water supply in the state.

Gowon expressed the readiness of the ministry in delivering on the mandate of water supply to the state.