STAKEHOLDERS IN WASH SECTOR BLAME POOR FUNDING FOR PERSISTENT LACK OF PORTABLE WATER IN ENUGU STATE

The Enugu State Coordinator, Society for Water and Sanitation, NEWSAN, Ogechukwu Enwelum, has decried the poor funding of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, sector in the state. She disclosed that over two-point-three-seven million people lack access to portable drinking water in the state. Enwelum stated this on Tuesday during a press briefing organised by NEWSAN; South-Saharan Social Development Organisation, SSDO and WaterAid at the Fidelma Hotel, Enugu.

The NEWSAN State Coordinator said the poor funding is responsible for the failure of the government to provide portable water to the people, and lamented that water vendors are taking advantage of the situation. She said that despite the 600 million naira earmarked for the rehabilitation of Ninth Mile Water Scheme and the 50 million US dollar donated by the French Development Agency, nothing tangible has been achieved.  On his part, SSDO’s Head of Programme, Udochukwu Egwim, described the state government’s effort to make water available to the people as a drop in the ocean, and asked the government to intensify more efforts.

Egwim stressed that the goal of achieving improved sanitation through elimination of open defecation in the state will remain a mirage, if those in authority fails to do the needful. Also, the Executive Director, Youth and Child Support Initiative, Ijeoma Nnaji, warned against allowing unnecessary politics to distract the government from providing this basic amenity to the people of Enugu state.