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The Federal Government has commenced assessment of implementation of the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water and Sanitation Hygiene (SURWASH) programme in seven states of Nigeria, which include Imo, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau.
The Federal Government officials on assessment tour, yesterday, arrived at the Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation (ISWSC), Owerri. They include, an Assistant Director (Hygiene), Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Ayaba Idamaka; Sanitation Sector Planning and Management Officer, in the Federal Project Implementation Unit (FPIU), Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Juliet Iordye, and an official of the ministry, Chinyere Okolo.
State officials who received them were the Imo State Project Co-coordinator (SPC), NG- SURWASH, Udegbe Chizoba, an engineer; Technical Adviser to the SPC, Dr. Evans Ohaji, also an engineer, and the Communication Officer, Imo State SURWASH programme, Paschal Opara, among others.
Briefing The Guardian on the programme, Idamaka said the Federal Government was concerned about tackling gaps, providing support, strengthening and harmonising collaboration with the three implementing agencies of the programme in the areas of sanitation hygiene, ending open defecation by ensuring clean toilets are provided in markets, hotels, hospitals, fuel stations, schools, healthcare facilities and all public places in the rural and urban areas.
She urged state governments to legislate and step up enforcement towards ending open defecation, improvement on sanitation hygiene and partnership with the private sector.
She said: “We want governments to take sanitation hygiene and provision of safe water issues seriously by making legislations and enforcing them, as well as placing sanctions on defaulters. So far, we have 46 per cent access to sanitation coverage, 17 per cent in hygiene and six per cent in health care, among others.”
