Enugu Plans To Improve Budget On Sanitation

The Enugu State Govern
ment plans to improve its budgetary allocation for sanitation to eradicate open defecation in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr Mike Nwachukwu, announced the plan at an event to mark the World Toilet Day in Enugu recently.
Nwachukwu said the government had since 2007 budgeted more than N2.7 billion to the Enugu Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (EN-RUWASA) to maintain hygiene and sanitation in the rural areas.
According to him, open defecation poses a threat to human living and development.
“The state government shall continue to play its role to achieve the targets set in basic sanitation of 90 per cent access in both urban and rural areas by 2025.
“The water situation is dependent on availability of power. Even when you have all  the infrastructures in place, the kind of system we run is power dependent and Enugu is growing at a tremendous rate bringing stress to the utilities.
“We have our facilities being rehabilitated and in the midst of the rehabilitation, power cuts have challenged our work. We need a 24-hour power supply,’’ Nwachukwu said.
He said the government was working out something, especially in the impending dry season, to provide water to every household to reduce open defecation.
“We know what the problem is and we are tackling it and to have alternatives to surmount the challenges. Before the end of the year, water issue will be a thing of the past,’’ he said.
In a welcome address, the Managing Director of EN-RUWASA, Mr Micheal Oguamah, said the agency was collaborating with the state task group on sanitation, trade unions, motor parks and market unions to eliminate open defecation.
Oguamah, who said that open defecation infringed on human safety and dignity, regretted that women and girls risked being raped and abused through the practice.
He said the theme of the day tagged ‘Vote for Wash, Vote for Life’ was to reduce assault and violence on women and girls.
Also speaking on the occasion, the Programme Support Manager of WaterAid Nigeria, Mr Jude Emesim, called for improved investment to maintain adequate sanitation and hygiene in the state.
“We should take the WASH campaigns to the rural areas to save lives,’’ he said.