Chairman, Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Mr Babaloja Afobaje, on Monday, disclosed plans by the agency to drill 330 boreholes across the state.
Afobaje made known this plan while handing over motorcycles, megaphones, sanitary materials to 10 local government areas of the state.
Speaking at the event held at the RUWASSA secretariat, Ibadan, Afobaje said the plan is to drill 10 boreholes in each of the 33 local government areas of the state.
He said the exercise was in realisation that potable water is crucial to enable the state to tackle open defecation as well as the spread of diseases.
Within 100 days of assumption of office as RUWASSA chairman, Afobaje said three solarised boreholes each had been sunk and 32 boreholes renovated in Egbeda and Ona Ara local government areas, four drilled in Ibarapa East local government area apart from six new hand pumps also provided in the state.
Afobaje particularly said the state was keen on collaboration with local government administration across the state on the provision of water and other related constituency projects.
He said the megaphones distributed are expected to be used for sensitization of pupils during Assembly in schools as well as in markets and other rural communities.
The 10 local governments which benefited from the donation included Egbeda, Ibarapa East, Ogo-oluwa, Iseyin, Oluyole, Ibadan South East, and Ona-ara, amongst others.
Speaking on behalf of chairmen of local government areas, Mr Sikiru Sanda, who is chairman of Egbeda local government area, tasked RUWASSA with increased collaboration with local government administration on its projects.
This, Sanda said, was imperative as RUWASSA projects are rural and grassroots-oriented, with benefitting communities better known by local government administration.
He also tasked the agency with increased synergy with the state government so that the state can get more donor funding, local and international, for its projects.
Also speaking at the event, a project partner, Bamigbade Olasunbo, who is Head of Operations, Seap Microfinance Bank, disclosed that the bank has constructed toilets for 352 households in Egbeda local government area.
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