By Niyi Ogungbola
The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and Investment Plan in Nigeria (RUWASTAN), Zone B, has assured Nigerians, especially those living in rural areas of potable water supply by 2030.
The Oyo state Coordinator, Dr. Ige Peter made this assertion at one-day Ogun State's validation Workshop, held in Abeokuta, the State capital.
He noted that the quality and coverage for water supply and sanitation were not satisfactory due to the institutional constraints, inadequate infrastructure and weak implementation of policy documents.
According to him,the zone is working assiduously to meet up with the stipulated year, 2030 in providing potable water supply to the citizenry, saying the zone B states that comprise of Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Osun, Oyo and Ogun would meet up with stipulated year.
Dr.Peter aslo stated that, the acceleration of provision and implemenation of services in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SSG) target is on course, saying that the national vision of water and sanitation for all by the year 2030 also sacrosanct.
Also, in his presentation, the Ogun State Coordinator, Prof. Opeyemi Ajewole admonished the governments of training and retraining of staff members (staff development), noting that insufficient funding of the agency, due to non-release of budgeted fund, for some of the capital projects hindered the provision of water supply to communities.
He said that state agency needed a fully operational accounting system, updated regularly with current hardware and software in oder to achieve the targeted year, saying that staff salaries and benefits should be based on performance and needed enhancement, mainly in form of a productivity bonus.
In his submission, the Managing Director, Ogun/Oshunm River Basin Development Authority, Otunba Olufemi Olayemi Odumosu, implored the government at all levels to follow the roadmap of provision orf potable water supply to the communities, saying the ideas of politicizing of siting of boreholes to communities should be jettisoned.
He said that some communities were given more priority in provision of waters at the detriment of others communities needed it, noting that politicizing of such do have adverse effects on the people and the entire communities.
Also, one the programme facilitators from Geometric Nigeria Limited, Dr. Oyegbile Kunle, said that the programme was to rework, make a review and to revaluate the implementation policy of provision of potable water for citizens, saying that it would be a template for government in provision water to the communities.
In his opening remarks, the Ogun State Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASTAN), Mr. Shola Ogunbo, said it was imperative for the government at all level to make provision of water supply for its inhabitants of the country, adding that Ogun State government is making efforts to provide water for every nooks and crannies of the state.
He said that no communities, rural areas, including remote ones would be left in the provision of potable water supply, noting that government had made it mandatory for the agency to provide all communities within its domain with potable water
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