Fund
By Benson Ezugwu
Calabar, March 20, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Ministry for Water Resources says it will soon establish a National Wash Fund for states to help in improving water institutions and infrastructure across the country.
Dr Ibrahim Musa, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said this in Calabar on Tuesday at an event organised to formally announce the declaration of Yakurr Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
Musa, who was represented by Mr Emmanuel Awe, the Director, Water Quality and Control, said that the ministry was doing everything possible to eliminate open defecation and improve people’s access to improved sanitation facilities in the country.
He said this was in pursuance of the sanitation target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
‘‘The ODF Roadmap and the Ministry’s flagship programme, Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH), were launched to scale up sanitation and hygiene in the country.
“The ministry is proposing the establishment of a National Wash Fund, slated to take off by middle of the year, which interested states can access in improving their Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) institutions and infrastructure.
“Also, plans are underway to have a presidential launch of a national campaign to eliminate open defecation,’’ he said.
He commended Yakurr LGA for the attainment of ODF status, saying that the feat would go a long way in motivating other states that were also implementing the programme.
“The attainment of ODF status by another local government area in Cross River, which ensures that more people now live in an open defecation free environment, is, therefore, highly elating.
“This is a proof that if we all put our efforts together with all the various projects in the state, Cross River may become the first state in the country to achieve state-wide ODF status in Nigeria,’’ he said.
The permanent secretary underscored the need for all beneficiary states and local government areas of donor-funded projects to prioritise the payment of their counterpart funds in order not to deny their people the benefits of those projects.
Mr Gabriel Odu-oji, the Cross River Commissioner for Water Resources, said that the Yakurr LGA had become the second council area to be certified ODF in the state after the earlier declaration of Obanlikwu LGA as ODF.
“Now we have two local government areas that are ODF, and another two LGAs, Boki and Bekwarra, are in the process of being declared ODF,’’ he said.
Odu-oji attributed the feat to the efforts of the state government to ensure clean and hygienic environment across the state.
Speaking, Obol Ofem Eteng, the traditional ruler of Ugep, thanked the state government and all partners in the ODF project for the making the dream to become a reality.
He gave an assurance that everything possible would be done to sustain the ODF status of the neighbourhood. (NAN)
BEN/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe