ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Rt Hon Martin Okonta, has identified poor allocation inconsistent fund releases as the bane of national development.
Hon. Okonta, who stated this in Asaba when he played host to the officials of the UNICEF -WASH Sector Wide Approach led by its National Consultant, Mr. Roy Ndoma -Egba who visited him, assured the team of Delta State Government commitment to exit Open Defecation in 2023.
The Water Resources Commissioner informed the team that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had already created Monitoring and Evaluation team in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies where the performance of the MDAs would be assessed, adding that Open Defecation free was a task that must be actualized in the state.
Hon Okonta, who noted that there was need for more advocacies including awareness on open defecation free, lauded UNICEF – WASH SWAP team for developing an action plan that would guide the state in the implementation of its water law towards delivering on the WASH sector.
Earlier, the National Consultant, UNICEF -WASH SWAP team, Mr Roy Ndoma -Egba sued for synergy with all relevant stakeholders in the WASH sector through inter -agency collaboration, stressing that there was need for the Ministry of Water Resources Development to always play sectoral role in water delivery in the state.
Mr Ndoma Egba who said that his team had designed an action plan and had taken crucial resolutions that would support the Ministry of Water Resources Development to achieve its mandate of providing potable water, sanitation and hygiene in the state, adding that there was the need to articulate measures that would provide the road map for Water consumers to assume ownership of the water infrastructure in their domains.
While strongly advocating for the State Governor to elevate the Water Regulatory Unit to Commission in order for it to effectively carry it’s assignment in the WASH sector such as providing guidelines for the water service providers and consumers among other roles, Mr Ndoma Egba pledged their readiness to strengthen the state performance base system to enable it delivery on its objectives.
Mr Roy Ndoma Egba who underscored the importance of robust budgetary provision for the WASH activities in the state, said that all MDAs that provide water should be sending quarterly reports to the State Ministry of Water Resources Development for the purpose of documentation.
In a communique presented by the NEWSAN Deputy National Coordinator, Mr Princewill Mordi, SWAP team stated that the chairmen of the four Local Government Areas where Niger Delta Support Programme of the UNICEF and the European Union was being implemented , promised to end open defecation in six months, adding that there should be improved relationship with the various security agencies aimed at ensuring the protection of the water facilities across the state.
The communique also recommended coordinating meetings with the stakeholders in the LGAs and all the communities where WASH Com existed, even as the communique also stated that there should be joint monitoring among relevant stakeholders.
It called for the effective and efficiency implementation of the State Water Law in order to support the Open Defecation Free road map and that the Ministry of Water Resources Development was the coordinating entity on WASH in the state among other recommendations.
For her part, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Mrs Felicia Adun who appreciated the UNICEF WASH Sector Wide Approach team for their resilience and commitment towards providing a systematic approach for effective water delivery in the state, said that Delta State would continue to partner with international donor agencies to improve the water sector.
Present at the meeting were the General Managers of RUWASA, Engr Clement Adiotomre and Engr Boss Okoh of Delta State Urban Water Corporation and the Director of Water Supply, Engr. Harrison Dafiovor among other management staff.
