The Kayode Fayemi-led administration in Ekiti State has reiterated its commitment to meeting the 85% daily requirement of portable water to Ekiti people.
This was contained in a statement made by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Olumide Ajayi at the commissioning of water supply facilities constructed under the Phase Three (EU-WSSSRRPIII) Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme, supported by European Union and UNICEF and Public Toilets, constructed under the NGO Grant of the European Union Supported Programme as part of activities marking the year 2019 World Water Day Celebration.
Olumide Ajayi,an engineer noted that this feat would be achieved through rehabilitation of Egbe Dam in Gbonyin Local Government area, mini Water Schemes, and boreholes in 7 towns and communities of Ekiti West LGA being as co-financed by Ekiti State Government and EU which is on-going.
He informed that Ekiti State, under the third National Urban Water Sector Reform Programme (NUWSRP-3) with the support of the World Bank has started the rehabilitation of Ero Water Supply Dam and the repair of the main transmission pipeline between Ifaki and Ado-Ekiti, which, upon completion, would provide steady increase in water supply to nine
Local Government areas of the state.
Emphasising on this year’s theme “Leaving No One Behind” which is in line with the earlier declaration of an emergency in the WASH Sector by the Governor last year December, Ajayi said the rehabilitation and turn around maintenance of water assets in the state will have a combined capacity to meet water supply requirements of the state that will drastically solve the problem of low access to safe water supply either in urban, small towns, or in rural communities, thereby ensuring that women and the vulnerable will have adequate access to
water supply.
Ajayi said further that as part of actions and strategies in ensuring that no one was left behind, efforts are in top gear to implement measures such as aggressive advocacy and sensitization of the citizens on the need to sustain the operation and maintenance of the WASH facilities that will drive the “State of Emergency” already declared in the sector.
He also said that the commencement of “Ekiti Ko Egbin Sile” programme, which is a roadmap programme geared towards a speedy eradication of Open Defecation in Ekiti State will go a long way to achieve this lofty objective of the government.
The Permanent Secretary called on stakeholders involving Government, Development Partners, the Private Sector, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), men and women of goodwill to ensure “No One is Left Behind” as part of the objectives if the Sustainable Development Goals 6 (SDGs-6) will be achieved.
AKINREMI FEYISIPO
