By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Federal Government has declared Gwer East Local Government Areas, LGA, of Benue state an Open Defecation Free, ODF, area.

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With a population of over 200,000 the LGA is said to be the second to attain the status in the entire North Central geopolitical zone after Logo LGA, also in Benue state.

The Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Mr. Dondo Ahire who made the disclosure yesterday in Makurdi said “it is also the fourth under the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria, RUSHPIN, programme to attain this status, following Logo, in Benue State and Obanliku and Bekwarra in Cross River State.”

He said the LGA attained the status after the Federal Ministry of Water Resource and the State Government through the Benue State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, BERWASSA, gave the LGA a clean bill of health last September.

“This followed the successful completion of a rigorous process of three-stage verification, certification and a final validation by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and National Task Group on Sanitation, NTGS.

“The people of Gwer East, Chiefs, WASHCOM members and Local Government authorities have rolled out the drums and will be gathering tomorrow December 19, 2019 at the LGA Central Primary School, Aliade LGA to celebrate this achievement.

“Representative from the state Government, relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies, the Commissioner for Water Resources and the General Manager BERWEASSA will be in attendance.

“Delegation from the Federal Government representation of the Minister for Water Resources, the National Task Group on Sanitation, the WASH Ambassador-Engr Ebele Okeke, and the National coordinator WSSCC, Mrs Elizabeth Jeiyol will be in attendance.”

According to him “Gwer East LGA is the eighth in Nigeria to be celebrated ODF by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

“With this LGA wide achievement of ODF, the LGA’s over 200,000 population now live in clean, healthy environments, and all households and key public spaces have constructed for themselves latrines and sanitation facilities.

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“They have put an end to open defection through a collective behaviour change process. The impact of this change process is most felt by children under 5 years old who are the main victims of diseases resulting from poor sanitation and hygiene practices.”

Continuing, the Commissioner explained that “the RUSHPIN programme is a groundbreaking seven years, $5million programme that is transforming the health of over 2,000 communities in Benue and Cross River States.

“The programme uses the community-led Total Sanitation approach, empowering entire communities to collectively change their sanitation and hygiene behaviour, ensuring that every community member uses a toilet and practice good hygiene.”

He stated that “the RUSHPIN Programme is an initiative of the Government of Nigeria, implemented with funding from the Global Sanitation Fund, GSF,/Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, WSSCC. United Purpose, UP, an international NGO headquartered in the UK, is the executing Agency of the RUSHPIN Programme.

“The sanitation model of the RUSHPIN Programme is specifically designed for replication and expanding to scale into three additional LGAs. The commitment is embedded in the MOU signed between the Benue State Government, the Federal Government and donor (UNOPS/WSSCC) in 2014.

“The Government of Benue State has honoured their commitment to the RUSHPIN Programme, through the release of an initial N70million out of the expected 400 million Naira and the released funds are presently being used to scale-up sanitation and hygiene programme in Ado, Gboko and Gwer West LGAs.

“These are in line with the commitment of Governor Samuel Ortom as he only just recently declared a State of Emergency in the Water and Sanitation Sector and also launched the Clean Benue Use the Toilet Campaign.

“Benue State is on course to become the First Open Defecation State in the country,” Mr. Ahire added.

On his part, the Programme Manager UP, the executing agency of the RUSHPIN programme, Mr. Nanpet Chuktu said Gwer East LGA was being celebrated because the Federal Ministry of Water Resources had recognized the fact that every household in the area had constructed and the residents are using household latrines and put an end to open defecation.

He said, “we are celebrating this because it is an attainment that is very rare, there are only 16 LGAs in the entire Nigeria that have recorded that feat and this is going to be the second in Benue state that would be celebrated.

“They will receive a flag from the Minister and also get a certificate of ODF status. There will be a meeting with the chiefs and the people of the communities in celebration of this their achievement.”

Mr. Chuktu stated that the entire Benue state was on track to achieve an ODF status with the support of development partners.

He said, “already we have significant enabling environment, there are at the moment 14 LGAs that are being supported directly by development partners in collaboration with BERWASSA.

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“Aside that, the state has also started extending its arms to Okpokwu and Kwande LGA. The government is also injecting additional funds to ensure that there is a scale up of this Programme. So we are almost in 50 percent of the LGAs.

“Recently Governor Ortom declared a State of Emergency in the Water and Sanitation Sector, these are the kinds of driving mechanisms we feel will help Benue state achieve ODF status,” he noted.

Vanguard