The Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, Monday, expressed the state government’s preparedness to meet the target of ending open defecation by 2025.
Mbah, who spoke in Enugu during the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) presentation of a WASH Master Plan to him, restated sustained provision of safe water, dignified sanitation, and good hygiene as his government’s priorities.
The governor, who appreciated the support of UNICEF so far, said his administration had since inauguration declared a state of emergency on water provision because of the importance of water to life itself.
He said with the setting up of the State Economic Planning Commission where the governor and the local government chairmen meet once every month to discuss and chart development plans, it is easy for the local governments to immediately set up and take ownership of WASH projects across the state to ensure that open defecation is ended by 2025.
“Recall that we recognised from the outset, the very importance of water to our lives. We have from inauguration, embarked on very aggressive campaign towards water for our city and rural dwellers.
“So, we have the honour of hosting the Chief of WASH, UNICEF Nigeria, who came to present to us, beyond a baseline, a very detailed document, identifying the critical challenges we have in the area of WASH and we have also gone through those areas of challenges.
“In the presentations are also pillars that we need and things we could do to help us achieve certain milestones by the SDG goals and we also have a target to ensure that by 2025, we have an end to open defecation in Enugu State”, Mbah stated.
On urban water supply, Mbah said: “We made a promise to our people that in 180 days from our swearing-in, we will provide water on a regular basis in our metropolis and it is 102 days left. I am pleased to inform you that, with what we have on ground, we are going to beat that deadline.
Earlier, The Chief of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), UNICEF Nigeria, Dr. Jane Bevan, had expressed satisfaction with the commitment, dedication, and political will of the state governor to actualise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Bevan, who emphasized UNICEF’s readiness to partner with the state government to realize its objectives, said: “We came here today to present this very preliminary outline master plan for achieving the SDGs by 2030.
“I think that with the commitment and dedication that the governor has demonstrated to me today, I really think that Enugu is on the right track and could definitely achieve this.
“Efforts are made on all the investments, in human resources, in infrastructure and behaviour change as well as the private sector.
“There are so many different elements that will need to come together in order to make water, sanitation, and hygiene happen in the state. But I think the governor has got strong political will and he can make it happen”.