BY NONYE EKWENUGO
Kaduna
Testimonies have continued to pour in from the three Senatorial Zones of Kaduna state, over the construction of modern toilet facilities and solar-powered boreholes by the Kaduna state government.
The government, through the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, SURWASH. Program, said the facilities, being constructed in institutions and Health Clinics across six pilot local government areas, will serve over 30,000 beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries of the Program in Jama’a, Jaba, Chikun, Igabi, Sabon Gari and Soba local government areas, who spoke with our reporter, said the facilities have given them a new lease of life.
Head Teachers of Primary Schools’ and In-Charge of Health Clinics in the benefiting communities expressed happiness over citing of the facilities within their institutions and health clinics.
Head Teachers of Nasarawa Primary school, in Chikun Local Government area, Victoria Ayuba, LEA Primary school Wanka, in Soba, Malam Suleiman Zakariya and Head Teacher of LEA Primary school, Kwoi In Jaba Local Government area Salome Micheal said the modern toilets built in their schools is changing the bad attitude of open defecation among the pupils
They said the health of the pupils has also improved because they are already accustomed to the habits of washing their hands after using the toilet.
The Head Teachers commend Governor Uba Sani’s Administration for the gesture, saying that the sanitation and hygiene within the Schools’ environment is greatly impacting on their performances and the performance of the pupils.
The Solar-Powered boreholes also constructed by the state government through the SURWASH program in the institutions and health clinics is also being applauded.
The Village Heads of Yelwa in Soba local government area, Alhaji Lawan Abdullahi the Village Head of kwakwaren Manu, in Sabon Gari and the village Head of Nasarawa Kaduna, Abel Achi were unanimous in praising Governor Uba Sani’s Administration.
“We’re are very happy getting this water in our community. Before now, we faced lots of difficulties in accessing Water in our villages, but with the installation of the boreholes, that has become a thing of the past”.
They said the boreholes, even though constructed within the vicinity of primary schools and health clinics, is also serving the community.
“On the modern toilet facilities in our Clinics, there was never anything like that. Whenever women come to the Clinics and they’re pressed, they only enter neighbouring houses to ease themselves. But since these toilet facilities were constructed, the women no longer enter neighbouring houses, they now use the modern one’s that were constructed”
Kaduna SURWASH Program Coordinator, Engineer Esau Ambinjah, said the facilities being constructed in institutions and health clinics across the state are meant to improve Sanitation and Hygiene; and ensure easy access to Safe water.
Engineer Esau said the objective of the SURWASH Program is to provide access to water, Sanitation and Hygiene service to citizens of Nigeria. He said:
“700 Million US Dollars was provided by the World Bank for the Nigeria SURWASH Program. It could not cover the whole 36 states, so the Bank in its own wisdom, requested all the states to express interest to participate in the program, so the states did, and the expression of interest submitted by the states were assessed and seven states emerged the winners and Kaduna State happened to be one of those seven states. So presently the program is ongoing in Kaduna State”.
