Minister Harps On Potable Water, Good Sanitation

The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, has said that the provision of potable water and good sanitary practices are necessary for disease control and reduced mortality.

Ochekpe made the remarks in Enugu on Monday in a goodwill message to a workshop organised for facilitators on Community-led Total Sanitation in local government areas of Enugu State.

Represented by Dr Obioha Agada, the Director in-charge of Water Quality Control and Sanitation in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Ochekpe said efforts should be made toward the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on sanitation and hygiene.

“With the target date of achieving the MDG by 2015 just around the corner, there is the urgent need to redouble our efforts in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in providing safe water supply and adequate sanitation to the unserved population in the country,“ she said.

She stressed the need for the Federal Government to create the enabling environment for all stakeholders, especially at the local government level, to serve the people in the area of WASH.

In her remarks, the wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs Clara Chime, said that improved water supply and sanitation had reduced diseases and curbed death rates among the people of the state.

She said the state government had launched a campaign against unhygienic practices, such as open defecation, in addition to providing boreholes in communities.

She commended the Federal Government, WaterAid Nigeria, UNICEF and other development partners for their contributions toward improved sanitation in the state.

Earlier, the Managing Director, Enugu State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (ENRUWASA), Mr Mike Oguama, listed the achievements recorded in the state in the area of sanitation.

He said the achievements included the training of state WASH officers, establishment of 10 WASH units, construction of 5,000 latrines as well as monitoring and evaluation.

Also, the UNICEF Specialist in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Mr Job Ominyi, emphasised the need for governments to accord priority to hygiene.

Ominyi pledged UNICEF’s continued support for government’s efforts aimed at improving sanitation and hygiene.