By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Kwara State Government has reiterated its commitment to partnering with relevant stakeholders and government agencies towards promoting access to clean water and hygienic environment in the State.

Kwara First Lady, Ambassador Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq stated this in Ilorin, the State capital, during a meeting with private sectors, on Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

At the programme organised by the Kwara State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), the First Lady, who was represented by the Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Usman Yinusa Lade, reaffirmed that government is not taking public health and safety for granted, adding that more efforts would be put in to curb open defecation, in order to ensure a more habitable environment for the citizenry.

“Government is doing a lot to achieve open defecation free status, by insisting that every household, school and community have access to good toilet facilities and clean water supply, across the State,” she added.

In her remarks, the State Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bolanle Olukoju, hailed Governor AbdulRazaq’s commitment to payments of counterpart funds, which, she noted, is fundamental to realising the objectives of the WASH programme.

She pledged a robust partnership of her Ministry with RUWASSA on awareness creation, among other purposes.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Community Development, Dr Lawal Olalekan Olohungbebe, decried the habit of erecting buildings without toilet facilities, warning that such lackadaisical habits must stop forthwith in order to eradicate open defecation.

In his welcome address, the General Manager, RuralWaterSupplyandSanitationAgency(RUWASSA), Mr. Olorunfemi Adewumi Oladipo, noted that the meeting was imperative to end open defecation in the State, as well as build a future devoid of health hazards in the State of Harmony.

Oladipo explained that year 2018 WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping Survey revealed that 47 million Nigerians still indulge in open defecation, noting that this has dire consequences, including threat to people’s health.

The General Manager commended this administration’s dedication to improving the water supply, sanitation and hygiene sector in the State, adding that all hands must be on deck to achieve greater success.

“There is the need for collective actions by critical stakeholders, such as private sectors, civil society organizations, religious and traditional leaders, development partners, as well as the media,” he admonished.

The resource persons, Professor Henry Olawale Sawyerr and Reverend Aina Jide Taiwo, in their separate remarks, said it is commendable that Kwara State has currently moved from 35th to 25th position on the attainment of free open defecation.

They, therefore, called for an improved public private partnership, community sensitization and the need to continue to leverage on modern technology, to rid the state of the open defeacation menace.

Dignitaries at the meeting include Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Iman, her Education and Human Capital Development counterpart, Hajiah Sa’adatu Madibo Kawu and heads of media organizations among others.