City Crime
‘Nigeria Requires $5.7m To Achieve Water Sanitation Services’
As Nigeria moves towards the attainment of an Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by 2025, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) says, the country requires an average 5.7 million dollars to achieve water and sanitation services in a local government area.
UNICEF Chief of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Mr. Zaid Jurji who disclosed this when the organised private sector on water, sanitation and hygiene (OPS-WASH) met with the Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu in Abuja.
Jurji who appreciated the current effort by the government towards ending open defecation in the country however said current efforts must tally with increasing population.
We are close to 200 million people and with the increasing population, if every year, there is an increase of service for five million people. It is barely enough as we are competing with natural population increase. So if we do five million people, we have done nothing. We are just breaking even, so anything to be measured toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must be done beyond that, this is to give you the scale of the problem.
With our unit of intervention, we have been working for so many years now with the Ministry of Water Resources and at the state level, every local government area requireS an average of $5.7 million to achieve water and sanitation services.
He added that UNICEF would continue to support organisations and communities to promote Sustainable Development Goals such as ending open defecation practice and overall hygiene promotion in the country.
He also urged organisations to coordinate their activities to halt duplication of efforts, promotion of effective implementation and monitoring for the programme success.
Earlier, the minister; while welcoming the team, pledged government’s commitment to partner with the organised private sector in financing and improving corporate social responsibilities in the fight against open defecation practice in the country.
Adamu said the role of the private sector in the revitalisation of the WASH sector cannot be overlooked, being the engine room for economic growth.
The minister said the federal government had targeted a zero open defecation goal by 2025. Saying with commitment from all stakeholders, this would be achieved. According to him, the lack of synergy among development partners’ interventions has led to groundwater depletion largely from unregulated activities.
There is urgent need for sanity in the water resoruces sector.
We need to measure all social impact of current interventions, is not just about figures and monies, we need to synergise all efforts for the benefit of all Nigerias” Adamu said.
Meanwhile, Guinness Nigeria, a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, has announced a long-term water intervention project across five states in Nigeria.
In addition to providing clean, potable water in these state the multinational orgnaisationis also supporting the federal government to intensify hand washing culture in public places to halt lassa fever.
The beneficiaries of the project are Edo, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa States and F.C.T.
Titilola Alabi, society manager at Guinness, Nigeria, disclosed this during the meeting with Suleiman Adamu, in Abuja.
Alabi said: currently in this financial year, we are committed to establishing five new water schemes in Abuja, Edo, Kano Kebbi and Nasarawa states.
We have chosen the communities in these states carefully following a needs assessment and for the benefit of a larger population.”
Currently our water of life project, created to provide water to under-served communities by solar powered water systems in providing water to over one million Nigerians. We have 33 of such water schemes across, 22 states.
Also speaking Dr Nicholas Igwe, national coordinator, organised private sector of wash, noted that the role of private sector in scaling up water and sanitation in the country could not be over-emphasised.
By: Amina Ngoma
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has felicitated Muslim faithful as they celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad, urging them to show love, tolerance, perseverance, patriotism and commitment to the growth and development of the State.
Governor Fubara, in a message in Port Harcourt, the State capital, urged the Muslim Ummah to use the lessons of the 12th day of the third month of Rabi’ al-Awwal to reflect on the core teachings of the Holy Prophet, and interceed for one another as exemplified by the sacrifices He made for humanity.
The Governor charged the faithful in the State and across the country to commit to ensuring that they continue to benefit from the genuine policies and programmes of government put in place to make live easy for all living and doing business in the State, without discrimination.
He said, “I, on behalf of the government and good people of Rivers State, heartily felicitate all Muslim faithful on the occasion of the Eid-el-Maulud celebration, to honour the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and urge for prayers for the revival and unity of Nigeria.
“The occasion, yet again, provides an opportunity to reflect deeply on the need for greater application of the Prophet’s teachings bordering on piety, charity, patience, resilience, justice and peaceful coexistence,” he added.
Governor Fubara assured the Muslim community in Rivers State, and indeed, all residents of the resolve of his administration to sustain the tempo of providing critical projects and social services to improve the quality of life of the people.
Workers in the nation’s telecommunication-s industry, under the aegis of the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association, PTECSSAN, will today begin an indefinite nationwide strike over sack, and poor working conditions, among others.
Among the employees going on strike include field maintenance engineers, transmission engineers, customer service engineers, fibre engineers, and other critical staff.
There are fears that the strike could disrupt telecommunications services nationwide if not resolved quickly.
The Tide’s source gathered that PTECSSAN, has pending issues with no fewer than 39 telecoms servicing companies including the sack of three of its members by Specific Tools & Technology Limited.
The 39 companies provide critical support services to the telecommunications operators in the country.
The Tide’s source was informed that the union had earlier given a seven-day strike notice to the affected companies to address its demands or risk indefinite strike.
Among PTECSSAN’s demands include immediate recognition of the fundamental right of the employees to freely associate with the union, immediate recognition of the union as negotiating body for the employees on workers welfare and immediate remittance of membership dues into the union’s account as earlier provided.
The demands equally are immediate recognition of the years of service of these workers, immediate commencement of appropriate pensions deduction and remittance of same as required by the Pension Act, immediate approval of the National Health Insurance Scheme that covers the employees, their spouses and four of their dependents, immediate enrolment of Union members in the Group Life Insurance as stipulated in the Pension Reform Act 2004, Section 9(3).
The union is also demanding immediate implementation of leave and leave allowance in accordance with the international best practices, immediate negotiation on review of salaries of the workers to meet the economic reality in the country today, and immediate provision Operational Vehicles or in the alternative immediate negotiation on review of the Self Drive/Self Rental to meet the economic reality in the country today.
Also in the union’s demands are immediate stoppage of 24-hour job and introduction of work hours in line with the international best practices, immediate stoppage of work overload (combining passive tasks to theirs) on the workers, and immediate adherence to occupational health and safety for the workers in line with international best practices.
Announcing the commencement of strike, General Secretary of PTECSSAN Abdullahi Okonu said “We have made every effort to engage with employers, but our legitimate demands have been disregarded.
“This strike is a last resort to protect our members’ rights and well-being. We urge the public to understand our position and support our struggle for fair treatment.”
While pleading with Nigerians to bear with the Union throughout the period of the strike, PTECSSAN “assures that it will engage with employers and the government to resolve the issues, but the strike will continue until their demands are met.”