Advocacy: “High Time To Uphold Clean Imo Water Law and Policy” – USAID E-WASH Team Charges Imo Govt and Imolites, Commends Media Practitioners

ThankGod Emeh.

Media practitioners in the state have been commended for their proactive media advocacy and information dessimination in society especially as regards USAID Effective Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Service programme, E-WASH in the state.

The Managing Director, Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation, ISWSC, Engineer Emeka Ugoanyanwu gave the commendation during Imo State Urban WASH Media Quarterly Meeting held in the state capital over the weekend.

Engineer Ugoanyanwu said the media practitioners has been a partner in success in reporting the objectives of the corporation to the general public.

The ISWSC Boss urged Imolites to always contribute their quota in ensuring that ISWSC Actualizes a clean water law and policy by active involvement and participation in the corporation’s activities as well as shun dumping of refuse in drainages and fresh water bodies.

He decried the substandard and moribund state of water service delivery caused by past leadership in the state.

The MD appealed to Imo people to always help and support the government to serve them better.

In his speech, the Advocacy Capacity Building Specialist of USAID E-WASH programme, Mr Ahmed Afolabi while unveiling the new logo of the Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation, ISWSC, noted that the feat was made possible by concerned Imolites and media practitioners who took time to publicize and contribute their quota for the betterment of the state in line with the water law and policy of the state government.

Mr Afolabi said the official logo was arrived at after a competition for logo branding and about eighty(80) entries were received and consequently streamlined to the best three(3) professional logo designs where Mr Dickens Ihegboroh (Port Harcourt), Mr George Sylvia (Imo State), and Mr Onuigbo Odinaka (Imo State) came first, second and third with cash prizes of #75,000, #50,000, and #30,000 respectively.

He said the vision of USAID E-WASH programme through the corporation is to revive water services that can be accessed by Imolites from the very comfort of their homes adding that the turnaround maintenance done on Otamiri Water Works early this year on the direct directive of Governor Hope Uzodinma has brought a notable change in the water management of the state.

Speaking on the reasons for E-WASH, the State Team Leader of the programme, Mr John Eutycus said the programme is aimed at reviving the Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation because the water sector of the state has been jeopardized in the past.

Mr Eutycus decried that the state in particular and Nigeria at large lacks behind its African counterparts hence the goal of USAID E-WASH programme to improve water service delivery by strengthening the governance, financial and technical viability of Six States Water Boards in Nigeria (SWBs) which includes Imo, Abia, Delta, Niger, Taraba states except Sokoto which was dropped because of lack of security and cooperation of the state government.

He emphasized that accessing water can be easy and readily available to the people but the prime interest of USAID E-WASH programme is for all to freely access healthy water that is safe for human consumption.

The State Team Leader stressed the works of USAID E-WASH to include capacity building and financial management among others. “When my team and I came to Imo, we discovered that there is no single tap running” adding that intensive works are underway to reach its heightened goals while pointing out lack of operational cost, insufficient staff in Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation as a major setback to fully launch out.

Mr Eutycus revealed that with the high level of works going on at Otamiri water works with One hundred and sixty one milion naira(#161,000,000) Utility Support Fund, USF 1 (Infrastructure) for Imo state; the initial design of serving three thousand (3,000)people will be improved to serve One Million, Four Hundred thousand(1,400,000) people by 2021 while the project will end by 2022.

Contributing to the success stories of the E-WASH team in Imo state, the Programme Officer of Widows and Orphans Empowerment Organisation, Mr Victor Adibe said his organization has 10 school Wash Clubs with 20 members each, one Youth Club with 30 members and a Women Club with 60 members where healthy and clean water services, hygiene and habits are roundly discussed.

Mr Adibe disclosed that “WEWE is currently leading the development of ISWSC standardized Revenue Collection Framework for the fecal sludge dump site in collaboration with SWB”, adding that it has also supported and participated in the development of Customer Service Charter in Imo State.

He pointed out that change of government and reshuffling of positions as well as the COVID-19 pandemic to be part of the major challenges facing WEWE while recommending that more efforts be made by stakeholders and support groups to drive the objective of the advocacy group.

Similarly, the Programme Officer of Global Health Awareness Research Foundation, GHARF, Mr Cornel Ekeh while updating the activities of organization vis-a-vis USAID E-WASH programme in Okigwe zone of the state said the foundation has carried out advocacy visits to dignitaries in the area which included the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Professor Placid Njoku as well as sensitization of Okigwe people on WASH promotion.

Mr Ekeh added that GHARF has intensively trained female Secondary school students on menstrual hygiene management, noting that Monthly meetings are being held in the area to discuss ways of safely managing drinking water from point of collection, transportation, storage and use.

He decried the state of bad roads and restriction of movements during COVID-19 pandemic as breakpoints of its activities.

Speaking further, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of Community and Youth Development initiatives, CYDI, Mr Okechukwu Okoro said the civil society organisation is seriously mapping out Community Wash Structures and has commenced rehabilitation works on Eluama and Oleme Water Schemes in Orlu Local Government Area.

Mr Okoro noted that CYDI has always commemorated Global Handwashing Day, Menstrual Hygiene Day, World Toilet Day and World Water Day among notable others with community members.

Going forward, the State Project Coordinator of Ventures Platform Foundation, VPF, Mr Edwin Ezurike said the foundation has been in collaboration with like-minded CSOs to promote Urban E-WASH programmes, adding that it has as well as designed a platform for Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation, customer service and citizens timely interface.

Mr Ezurike noted that the Ventures Platform has gone on familiarization visits to Otamiri and Nworie rivers in the state to ascertain the goings on and that the digital platform the foundation designed is to improve water service delivery in the state.

Conclusively, the Media Coordinator of USAID E-WASH programme, Ambassador Chika Uju on behalf of media practitioners in Imo expressed gratitude to ISWSC Boss, Engineer Ugoanyanwu and staff as well as the general public for their support and inputs to reach the goals of USAID E-WASH in the state.

Ambassador Uju called on the Civil Society Organizations and media practitioners in the state to always keep the flag flying to ensure a clean and safe water and environment for the state.

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