*Urges Ekiti govt to fund, fix reservoirs across state
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Ecumenical Water Network -Africa (EWNA) has charged the government at all levels in Nigeria to provide potable, clean and safe water for citizens across the country.
The convener of the project, Very Reverend Kolade Fadahunsi gave the charge during a stakeholders engagement in Ifaki and Aramoko Ekiti, Ekiti State.
According to Very Reverend Fadahunsi, the network believes that the provision of water is a constitutional role that the government must play towards the development of any country and state.
The convener of the Non Governmental Organisation said the government must fund and fix the reservoirs across Ekiti State, which will be a channel for water provision to the people in the state.
Speaking in Ifaki- Ekiti, during the stakeholders engagement, Very Reverend Fadahunsi urged residents to make their requests know to lawmakers in the 10th Assembly both at the National and state levels to prioritise the fixing and making the reservoirs functional rather than drilling boreholes which will only serve few people who are in various locality.
Very Reverend Fadahunsi pointed out that making the reservoirs functional will ensure more communities are empowered by making portable water assessible to many families and households and save the environment the potential dangers of effect of boreholes drilling across the state.
In Aramoko Ekiti, Revrend Fadahunsi who led the team, explained that the administration of Governor Abiodun Oyebanji, will definitely give the people water in their homes if they make request to the state government rather than asking government to provide money for them for frivolities and personal gains.
The team in company of clergy and members of St Phillips Anglican Church visited the mini water works where three reservoirs that are supposed to supply Aramoko, Erinjiyan and Ikogosi Ekiti are all abandoned.
Community leaders at the stakeholders meeting called on the government to promise water supply to households and major communities with women in their various remarks said life would be more meaningful for the family when there is good water supply.
Emphasizing that maternal and infant mortality arising from water infection will reduce when water supply is constant and available, the stakeholders charged that lawmakers must, as a matter of importance, focus more on water supply policy that will regularly fund the reservoirs to functionality rather than the provision of boreholes which may have adverse effect on the environment in the nearest future.
The NGO also engaged and trained journalists in Ekiti state on the importance of availability and accessibility of water, noting that it is one way to make life meaningful for the people of the state.
