[News] GWER EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT SET TO CELEBRATE OPEN DEFECATION FREE STATUS: PRESS RELEASE
A special press conference was hosted today 18th,December 2019 at the Benue state ministry of water resources and environment.
The event took place at the office of the honourable commissioner of water resources and environment, Engr. Dondo Ahire.
On the 31st of September, 2019, the federal ministry of water resources (FMWR) and Benue state government through the Benue State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (BERWASSA) declared Gwer East LGA an Open Defecation Free LGA. This followed the successful completion of a rigorous process of three stage verification, certification and a final validation by the federal ministry of water resources and national task group on Sanitation (NTGS).
United purpose (UP) who’s programme manager, Mr Nanpet Chuktu and other staff were present. They are international organisation amongst others partnering with Benue state government on this laudable project. The project is basically about eradication of open defecation. Gwer East local government has been declared a free from open defecation.It is worthy of note that Benue state was the first state in Northern Nigeria to attain this status in September this year when Logo’s status was celebrated amidst wild jubilation of people from all works of life.
Three months later, Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State has also been certified ODF as emphatically stated by the honourouble commissioner in his speech. The Local Government with a population of over 200,000 people is only the fourth under the Rural Sanitation and hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) to attain this status. Defecation of faeces from the body.
Defecation is not wrong when done in toilets but it becomes a problem when littered around the community. United Purpose and other partner organizations are collaborating with the Benue state government in other to eradicate open defecation at the moment. In some words he said; ‘We are happy to announce to the general public that Gwer East is the second local government in Benue state and only the eight in Nigeria to be certified free from open defecation and efforts would be in full gear to extend the kind gesture to other local governments of Benue state.
He stated that, the occasion will be celebrated at Aliade, the headquarters of the local government on Thursday, 19th December 2019 with representatives from government, relevant ministries, department and agencies, the commissioner of water resources and general manager of BERWASSA in attendance.
The RUSHPIN programme is a groundbreaking 7years, $5million, programme that is transforming the health of over 2,000 communities in Benue and Cross Rivers States. The programme uses the community-led total Sanitation approach, empowering entire communities to collectively change their Sanitation and Hygiene behaviour, ensuring that every community member uses a toilet and practices good hygiene.
RUSHPIN programme vis an initiative of the government of Nigeria, implemented with funding from the global Sanitation fund (GSF) water supply and Sanitation collaborative council (WSSCC). United Purpose (UP), an international NGO with headquarters in the UK, is the executing agency of the RUSHPIN Programme.
The Government of Benue State has honored their commitment to the RUSHPIN Programme through the release of an initial 700 million naira out of the expected 400 million naira. The released funds are presently being used to scale up this Sanitation and Hygiene programme in Ado, Gboko and Gwer EAST LGAs of Benue State.
Benue state is very much on course to become the first open DEFECATION free state.
The press conference had in attendance the media from the broadcast, print and online platforms.
Click and Follow these handles on twitter for more updates: @NanpetCJ @WSSCCouncil @FMWRNigeria @WaterNGR @UnitedPurposeNG @UnitedPurpose
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