By Chris Chikelue :
Stakeholders in water sanitation and hygiene in Nigeria have advised the Federal Government to commence immediate dredging of River Benue, the Niger River and other major rivers in Nigeria in order to curb the challenges of perennial flooding and loss of lives and properties in the country.
They gave this advice in an event held in Ibadan, Oyo State; it was themed, ‘WASH’ Achieving SDG’s Through Independent Evaluation & Mutual Accountability’.
While speaking with Newsmen, the Chairman, National Coordinator of Courage, Nigeria Livelihood Programme who is also the convener of the event, Engr. Michael Ale decried the poor state of basic infrastructure needed to curb seasonal flooding in the country.
Engr. Ale doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of Male Integrated Science Projects.
He called for an urgent action to be taken by the Federal Government in the provision of dams which would hold and control water surge whenever we have heavy rainy falls.
Engr. Ale commended the Government of Oyo State for taking proactive measures in the expansion of bridges and culverts in the state which has curbed flooding in the state.
The Guest Lecturer and the National Project Coordinator, Nigeria Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH), Engr. Abdul Hamid Gwaram explained that the event is coming at a right when Nigerians are still counting their loses to this year’s flooding.
He said that SURWASH as an outfit is created for the development of tools and objectives to be used in the increase of access to water sanitation and hygiene services and to strengthen the institution in some selected states in the country.
“Nigerians should ensure that they make use of toilet facilities at their homes or the ones provided for the public and shun open defecation for the provision of safe and clean water and cleaner environment,’’ Engr. Gwaram said.
In his remark, the Chairman, Nigerian Association of Evaluators, Caretaker Committee, Dr. Sulaiman Adediran admonished Nigerians to make sure that they do geo-physical study before building structures on a piece of land so as to ascertain where to get water when considering sinking boreholes.
He added that the association is ready to partner with the government in monitoring and evaluating policies and programmes aimed at the development of water projects.
Climax of the event was the launching of a website ‘Drillnow.ng’ by Engr. Ale.
