The Ekiti Small Town, Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Agency EKSRUWASSA has reaffirmed its commitment to improved water governance and sustainable service delivery through an orientation meeting for members of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committee (WASHCOM) and Water Consumer Association (WCA) across the state.
The orientation meeting focused on strengthening members’ effectiveness in service delivery, with emphasis on sustainability, proper meeting documentation, transparency and efficient financial record management within community water facilities.
Speaking at the forum in Ijero-Ekiti,the General Manager of the EKSRUWASSA, Mr Ayo Alegbeleye, charged WASHCOM and WCA members in beneficiary communities to regard their nomination as a privilege to serve their communities.
Alegbeleye urged the members to be proactive in discharging their responsibilities, noting that the committees were saddled with the oversight of both existing and newly installed solar-powered and hand pump boreholes across intervention communities in the state.
He stressed that ensuring the sustainability of the facilities remained one of the most critical responsibilities of the committees, adding that proper maintenance would guarantee long-term access to safe and potable water for residents.
The General Manager commended the Ekiti State Government for its commitment to improving water, sanitation and hygiene services across the state.
He also urged committee members to treat the facilities as collective community assets by closely monitoring and maintaining them at all times.
In her remarks, the Director of Sanitation and Hygiene, Mrs Olarenwaju Ayeni, stressed the need for committee members to familiarise themselves with direct beneficiaries within facility locations and ensure regular meetings with them.
Ayeni explained that whenever faults occur in any borehole facility, the committees were expected to convene meetings with beneficiaries to engage trained Local Area Mechanics (LAM) and Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) personnel for repairs.
She added that the agency should be contacted whenever the repair exceeded the capacity of the local mechanics.
Ayeni also encouraged committee members to establish modalities for token contributions to address minor repairs and maintenance challenges.
She emphasised the importance of proper record-keeping, urging members to always document meeting proceedings and maintain accurate financial records to ensure accountability and transparency.
Also speaking, the Head of Small Town Engineering, Mr Olajide Olatiilu, highlighted the social and environmental aspects of the programme.
He warned against locating burial grounds, septic tanks and refuse dumps close to boreholes, noting that such practices could contaminate water sources and endanger public health.
One of the participants, Mr Afolabi Olabode from Araromi, Odo Uro in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, suggested the creation of a communication platform to enhance collaboration among members and bridge communication gaps caused by distance.
He said such a platform would improve coordination and strengthen the effectiveness of committee activities.
The orientation meeting, held across the three senatorial districts of the state, forms part of the agency’s continuous efforts to strengthen community participation, ensure the sustainability of water facilities and promote access to safe and hygienic water across Ekiti.
