Ekiti State Government through the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme has commenced physical operations in communities across nine Local Government Areas in the State as contractors moved to sites.
The operations will be for the construction of 31 boreholes and rehabilitation of 21 others,
construction of WASH facilities in nine schools and three Primary Health Care Centres.
The state commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Professor Mobolaji Aluko who made this known during a monitoring tour of the projects at the weekend, explained that SURWASH is a World Bank-assisted program aimed at improving Water supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in the State with the target of giving about 672,830 people unfettered access of water supply.
According to a statement by Oyerinde Yetunde, the Assistant Director of Information in the ministry, Aluko said that the SURWASH programme is also expected to give 55 Communities, Open Defecation Free (ODF) as well as provide 30,884 households, 221 Schools, and Health Care Facilities access to improved functional Sanitation and hand washing facilities by the end of the
program in 2027.
The commissioner charged contractors handling the projects to ensure compliance with the job specifications, stressing the zero tolerance of the present administration in the state’s substandard jobs.
He also advised benefiting communities to support efforts at making life more meaningful for them, stressing the need to take ownership of the facilities for proper sustainability.
According to him, benefiting communities must have representatives that would ensure proper monitoring of the projects, emphasizing the need for all stakeholders to work towards the success of the projects
particularly in view of the “Program for Result” (P for R) feature, as reimbursement is premised on success and impact of the projects.
In his remarks, a community leader in Ipole Iloro, Akinola Oladapo expressed appreciation to the Governor, Biodun Oyebanji for his efforts at improving the lots of the people, noting that, “water had been a serious issue and a cause for concern in this area for years especially at the Basic Health Care Center”.
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