Nation
UNICEF Lauds Mbah’s Commitment To SDGs Actualisation
The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), has expressed satisfaction with the commitment, dedication, and political will of the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, to actualise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Chief of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Jane Bevan, who made their feelings known during the presentation of a WASH Master Plan by the international agency to the Governor at the Government House, Enugu, on Monday, also expressed the readiness of the body to partner with the State Government to realise its objectives.
Briefing newsmen, Bevan said: “We came here today to present this very preliminary outline master plan for achieving the SDGs by 2030.
“I think that with the commitment and dedication that the Governor has demonstrated to me today, I really think that Enugu is on the right track and could definitely achieve this.
“Efforts are made on all the investments, in human resources, in infrastructure and behaviour change as well as the private sector.
“There are so many different elements that will need to come together in order to make water, sanitation, and hygiene happen in the state. But I think the governor has got strong political will and he can make it happen”.
Speaking, Governor Mbah, while appreciating the support of UNICEF so far, said the administration had since inauguration declared a state of emergency on water provision because of the importance of water to life itself.
He enumerated sustained provision of safe water, dignified sanitation and good hygiene as his government’s priorities, stressing the state government’s preparedness to meet the target of ending open defecation by 2025.
According to him, “with the setting up of the State Economic Planning Commission where the Governor and the local government chairmen meet once every month to discuss and chart development plans, it is easy for the local governments to immediately set up and take ownership of WASH projects across the state to ensure that open defecation is ended by 2025.
“Recall that we recognised from the outset, the very importance of water to our lives. We have from inauguration, embarked on very aggressive campaign towards water for our city and rural dwellers.
“So, we have the honour of hosting the Chief of WASH, UNICEF Nigeria, who came to present to us, beyond a baseline, a very detailed document, identifying the critical challenges we have in the area of WASH and we have also gone through those areas of challenges.
“In the presentations are also pillars that we need and things we could do to help us achieve certain milestones by the SDG goals and we also have a target to ensure that by 2025, we have an end to open defecation in Enugu State”, Mbah further stated.
On urban water supply, the Governor said: “We made a promise to our people that in 180 days from our swearing-in, we will provide water on a regular basis in our metropolis and it is 102 days left. I am pleased to inform you that, with what we have on ground, we are going to beat that deadline.
“We know that we need a minimum of 100,000 cubic of water daily in Enugu city. So, the current plan we have will see us generating, in less than eight weeks, more than 120,000 cubic metres of water.
“We are fixing the leakages we have in our reservoirs. So we are going to ensure no water is leaking from the reservoirs. We are able to deploy the whole water we are generating to the people.
“We are expanding the reticulation from the distribution side of things. So, we are taking this coverage to ensure the entire city is covered. The new layouts that were not originally captured are being captured”.
Also on the UNICEF delegation were Chiranjibi Tiwari, WASH Manager, UNICEF Abuja; Dr. Olusoji Akinley, Chief of Field Office , UNICEF Enugu; and Timi Kiakubu, WASH Specialist, UNICEF Enugu.
By: Canice Amadi, Enugu
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
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