The Chairman, Oyo State Rural Water Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Engineer Najeem Omirinde, has assured all stakeholders including the donor and sponsors that the state government under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde will do everything possible to make the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) policy sustainable and workable.
Engr Najeem Omirinde in his opening remarks on Wednesday at a stakeholders meeting to validate the policy said with Section 20 sub (1) of OYORUWASSA Law 2011, Governor Makinde has power to make Executive Order for the state. Hence the WASH policy will become law in the state.
He thanked Heineken African Foundation, WaterAid Nigeria and other stakeholders for supporting Oyo state government in its move to have the WASH policy.
He said “We won’t leave it as ordinary policy. I must say that on behalf of Engineer Seyi Makinde, this document will be given an executive order which makes it becomes a law.
“I urge all stakeholders present to kindly peruse the document thoroughly for the state to be able to achieve a workable and sustainable document. We invited people from private, public sectors, community and others for them to have their input.
“On behalf of the government of Oyo state, I want to thank the donor and sponsor. I want to assure you all once again that this document upon completion will become a law in the state.”
Meanwhile, stakeholders met in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital to validate the Oyo State Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) policy and its implementation guidelines.
The WASH policy document is a document which will encourage investment from development partners both locally and internationally.
The document is one of the major requirements to get funding and partnership towards acquiring safe water, sanitation, hygiene, open defecation free and others.
The sponsor, Heineken African Foundation, WaterAid Nigeria, their Consultants and other relevant stakeholders were in the meeting.
While speaking, the Country Representative of WaterAid Nigeria, Mrs Idowu Adebayo said the meeting was to enable stakeholders have input in the forming of WASH policy document for the state to be able to achieve workable policy.
She said WaterAid Nigeria was passionate about transforming the life of people through the expansion access clean water, basic hygiene sanitation.
She said drafting of framework and strategies are important to ensure sustainability adding that they are supporting the state government to ensure sustainability.
She said Open Defecation Free (ODF) is also a WASH matter because ODF can’t be achieved without access to portable water.
Also speaking, representative of Heineken African Foundation, Mrs Olubukola Adeyemo said Oyo state was chosen for sponsorship and partnership over other Southwest states.
She said Heineken African Foundation was happy to support the state adding that their support will be useful and appreciated.
While giving Asejire Dam as an example of a project that needs sustainable, she appealed to government and other bodies to do the needful to ensure the sustainability of projects.
Some of the stakeholders present were, National President, Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners & Practitioners, AWDROP, Michael Ale; Directors of Environment in Local Government Areas; State Steering Committee on WASH; State Director for National Orientation Agency; Representatives from Ministry of Health, Local Government, Justice and others.
