The Senior Programme Officer, Global Health Awareness Research Foundation, Mrs Ebele Ofora,has called on citizens to demand their rights to water and sanitation from elected political officeholders.
Ofora told the newsmen that this became necessary following poor access to potable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in parts of the country.
She noted that the group was implementing the Sustainable Total Sanitation programme in partnership with WaterAid Nigeria to carry out community mobilisation and engagements for WASH.
According to her, part of the activities is the signing of pledge cards to show commitment, saying as elections have come and gone, follow-up on these commitment was ongoing.
“We are implementing a project sponsored by WaterAid Nigeria called Sustainable Total Sanitation, part of the activities we carried out is the community mobilisation and engagements, the Vote for WASH.
“The community members must understand that WASH is their right, it’s a human right issue.
“The vote for WASH campaign is a strategy to engage political Office holders, it’s not the period of I will give you salt and rice, they need to know that it’s their responsibility and are obligated to provide them.
‘’They include water and sanitation facilities in all public places such as markets, parks, religious places and hospitals.
“The strategy is meant to educate communities to demand for their rights with political office holders.’’
Ofora said that a survey carried out in Enugu in four pilot Local Government Areas, which was a fall out from the declaration of a national emergency by the president in the WASH sector.
She said that this revealed poor water and sanitation practice in the state.
“The refuse is being emptied in the river and you realised that at the other end of the rivers, inhabitants use the water for household purposes, drinking among others.’’
She said that due to advocacy and awareness campaign being carried out, there were reports that the sewage disposal had been banned with the tankers also being banned from disposing waste into the rivers.
Ofora said that it was important for laws and policies on safe disposal of waste and sewage to be available and implemented, and if not done, it would have a direct impact on the environment and populace.
She said that with the support from UN Children’s Fund Zone, a field office, implemented the Support for Community Engagement and Monitoring of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) intervention among youths.
Ofora said that the programme, which started in January 2018, was aimed at increasing the level of knowledge of participants on the health risks and implications of female genital cutting in 10 communities in Afikpo North LGA, Ebonyi.
According to her, part of the objective was to carry out advocacy on the public to abandon the practice and for community leaders to take the lead and find an action plan and resolution for sustainability.
”Global Health Awareness Research Foundation carried out monitoring visits to the communities as part of its interventions in the FGM/C abandonment programme with the support of UNICEF.
‘’As a follow up to the community entry meetings and the outreaches conducted in the community.
”This is to solicit for the support of the community leaders and sensitise the various groups respectively.
“The monitoring visits were carried out to ensure that actions and steps are followed to facilitate FGM/C abandonment.”
On Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), she noted that it had organised and conducted sensitisation activities across the Girls Secondary Schools in Enugu Metropolis.
She said that the activities were aimed at raising awareness on the importance of good menstrual hygiene practices among young girls, educating students on basic facts on MHM and its importance to their wellbeing.