Ondo Community Seeks Access to Potable Water

Fidelis David in Akure

Community Leaders in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State have urged government at all levels, stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to provide potable water for them.

The Oniju Of Iju-odo, Oba Festus Olumoyegun, and chiefs from neighbouring communities made the request yesterday at the official launch of boreholes project for primary health care centres and public schools by a non-governmental organisation, HACEY Health Initiative, at Primary Health Care Centre in Iju-Odo and that of Ilutitun-Osooro Ward II in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.

Oba Olumoyegun, represented by the Oniogbe of Monogbe, Chief Omodele Adebayo, said statistics released by the UNICEF shows that about 124,000 children under the age of five die every year because of diarrhea, mainly due to contaminated water, sanitation and hygiene, stressing that lack of adequate potable water and sanitation are also major causes of other diseases such as typhoid and cholera.

The monarch said the communities depended on the river for drinking water and domestic use, which he described as polluted and unsafe, noting that the communities deserve a reliable alternative source of water as the people had endured for long.

According to him, “The cost of sachet water in this community rises from N10 to N20, and most of our people cannot afford the sachet water at that price. We are always worried of what the situation may lead to but thanks for this one (water project).

“The primary health care centres here and others in most part of the community have been suffering from water scarcity, but thank God for

this intervention because this will pave the way for our people to come here and get potable water.

“The government has been doing well but key stakeholders across different sectors should increase investment in water, sanitation and hygiene for women and children, especially those in rural and underserved communities as this, I believe will go a long way in achieving a healthy and productive society.”

Reacting, the Executive Director, HACEY Initiative, Rhoda Robinson, said the initiative was aimed at improving access to safe water for communities, health workers and pregnant women.

Robinson, represented by the Programme Manager, Chioma Osakwe, said the clean water initiative came from seeing most communities not having access to portable water.

She said: “You go to most communities and you see that they have access to water but not clean water. You see a situation of high incidences of waterborne diseases like diarrhea, and children under the age of five years dying from these diseases; this is not supposed to be in this century and time.”