Forum charges govt on involvement of communities in water projects

A forum of civil society organisations on water and sanitation has charged state and local governments to involve benefitting communities in water and sanitation projects that are meant for them.The stakeholders' roundtable, which was organised by the Justice Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI) of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti in collaboration with WaterAid Nigeria, also decried the poor monitoring of water and sanitation projects by governments, saying this had left many projects ineffective.The event which was held at the Pope John Paul II Pastoral Centre in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, also charged the people to embrace hygienic attitude and ensure proper maintenance of water projects in their communities.Reverend Father Raphael Aborisade, Ekiti State Programme Director of WaterAid Nigeria, said WaterAid as an international charity non-governmental organisation (NGO) was 'working with developing countries in provision of potable water, increase awareness on sanitation and hygiene.'Rev Borisade added that 'the organisation is domesticated in Nigeria and has been supporting Ekiti State in three local government areas namely Ikole, Ekiti South West and Ilejemeje, towards provision of potable water, increase awareness on sanitation and strong campaign on hygiene promotion,' saying JDPI had been selected by WaterAid Naigeria 'as the leading implementing partner of WaterAid Nigeria activities in Ekiti State with formal signing of MOU on April 26, 2010.'In a paper at the event, Dr Chris Oluwadare of Ekiti State University, observed that poor planning needed to be tackled in water and sanitation issues, adding that feedback system and knowledge of consumers of primary needs and priorities also needed to be strengthened.Also in a paper, Mrs Abiodun Osho of WaterAid, said community participation in water and sanitation issues would help to sustain such projects.Media Network, in a presentation at the forum, disclosed that WaterAid had drilled 38 boreholes in some local government areas of Ekiti State and handed over to the benefitting communities but regretted that no local government administration in the state had replicated the projects as expected of them.Wale Ajibade of the Media Network who made the call, charged the state government to ensure the replication of the boreholes and ensure their proper monitoring.
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