By Monrovia, Liberia- Water, sanitation, and hygiene, or WASH, has gained a lot of traction on the House of Representatives agenda now that House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa has committed to both fully joining the WASH legislative Caucus and unwaveringly supporting the attainment of sustainable WASH initiatives in the nation. The speaker hinted that under his direction, Liberia will pay close attention to its obligations to the sector on a national and international level as well as the creation of a WASH Standing Committee.
On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, the Grand Bassa County District Five Representative, Hon. Thomas A. Goshua, Chairman of the WASH Legislative Caucus, and a number of CSOs and INGOs made their decision in front of the Lower House of Parliament’s Grand Kru District One Representative.
Grand Bassa County District Five Representative, Hon. Thomas A. Goshua, Chairman of the WASH Legislative Caucus, and a number of CSOs and INGOs paid him a courtesy call at his Capital Building Office on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, when the Grand Kru District One Representative and leader of the Lower House of Parliament made their decision.
Civil society organizations and other WASH stakeholders in the nation have contacted the Hon. Goshua-led WASH Legislative Caucus, emphasizing the necessity of establishing a WASH Standing Committee. According to sector-wide strategic analyses, this committee will continue to be an essential response to the numerous challenges that the WASH Sector faces. A resolution advocating for the creation of the WASH Standing Committee at the Legislature was approved by about eighteen civil society organizations and other WASH stakeholders last week and was sent to the Caucus by Hon. Goshua. The resolution was sponsored by USIAD.
The Corina Resolution was the result of a meeting with WASH CSOs and stakeholders that Compassion for Humanity (C4H) Liberia arranged as part of its “Legislative Engagement to Formalize WASH Caucus into Standing Committee” project. The initiative is a component of the Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA), funded by USAID and overseen by a group of international non-governmental organizations under the direction of Population Services International (PSI). The CWSA wants to put an end to open defecation in Liberia once and for all. The resolution was signed by a number of significant civil society organizations, including the Mano River Youth Parliament, WASH CSO Network, Liberian National Student Union (LINSU), Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL), and others. The meeting was held on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at the Corina Hotel on 26th Street in Monrovia.
Numerous civil society actors have characterized Hon. Koffa’s action as both responsible and appropriate, given the severe obstacles the WASH sector faces, which range from a lack of political will to assist regulatory enforcement to inadequate monetary provision.
By: Alphanso G. Kalama
