Olofe Abiodun
Ekiti State Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme would give access of water to about Six hundred and seventy two thousand, eight hundred and thirty(672,830) people by the end of the programme in 2027.
The World Bank assisted Programme which aimed at improving Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene Services in the Ekiti State, would also ensure that fifty five (55) communities would be Open Defecation Free(ODF), as well as ensuring that,thirty thousand, eight hundred and eighty four 30,884 household have access to improved and functional sanitation.
The programme which started officially in January 2022 in the state,is also expected to benefit two hundred and twenty one(221) schools and health centers with the provision of functional water supply, sanitation and hand washing facilities.
This was made known during an engagement between stakeholders from different communities that cut across the 3 senatorial districts and a team of consultants engaged on “social Accountability” aspect of the programme, led by Mr Cornelius Eniola.
The consultancy team leader, stated that the involvement of project beneficiaries in the implementation stage of the programme would help in preventing contractors from doing shoddy jobs since the community representatives will be on ground to ensure quality.
According to him, “involving stakeholders from the inception to the completion stage will help to avoid shoddy jobs and ensure compliance on project specifications with a view to enhancing the project sustainability”.
Eniola explained that the meeting with the community stakeholders was imperative being direct beneficiaries, whose roles towards the success of the programme are critical.
He charged communities on the need for social accountability by holding the contractors accountable by monitoring and giving feedback reports through the toll free number and suggestions boxes that would be made available at the project sites.
He added that community representatives must be on ground to properly monitor the contractors to deliver according to specifications in order to avoid being deprived of disbursement because the program is basically a “Program for Result” (P for R)
Explaining further, he said that the State Program Implementation Unit had conducted similar interactive meetings with different categories of stakeholders
including Accounting Officers of relevant Government Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Local Government Water Supply,
Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) department.
He said that all stakeholders would
be duly engaged to achieve maximum success for the programme, stressing the need for communities involvement as a means of taking ownership after the completion, which will lead to immeasurable and sustainable improvement on water and sanitation outcome in the State.
A participant from Ilupeju- Ijan, Mr Adeyanju Ekundayo in his comments, spoke on the need for communities involvement and taking ownership with an emphasis on the importance of maintenance and repair of facilities when the need arises by the Stakeholders being the direct beneficiaries.
Also, Mr. Idowu Isaac, from Iye Ekiti in Ilejemeje Local Government, added that subletting project from one Contractor to another should be highly discouraged because, it has contributed a lot of problems leading to non functioning borehole and delivery of shoddy jobs by Contractors.
Another participants from Odo-Oro in Ikole Local Government Area, Mrs. Busayo Remi pledged the support of the community Stakeholders for the success of the program considering the differences between the previous intervention and the SURWASH Programme.
She however stressed the need for the State Programme Implementation
Unit to be proactive in their monitoring for Sustainability and continuity of the programme.