News Editor
From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in conjunction with Benue State Government through Benue State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (BERWSSA), has donated hygiene kits to 100 households in Ichwa Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the state capital.
This is also as Benue State Government has released N700 million for provision of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities across the state.
Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Mr Odoh Ugwu disclosed this on Thursday during the celebration of the 2024 Global Hands Washing Day at Ichwa IDP Camp in Makurdi.
He said the gesture was part of state government’s efforts to meet the global target of hand hygiene access for all by the year 2030.
Mr. Odoh said despite attention to hand hygiene, many people in Nigeria and Benue State in particular still lack access to soap and running water, as data has shown that only five percent of households in the state have access to a fixed place for hand washing with soap and running water within their premises.
He said it was part of response to support hand washing that the state government in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners are investing in hand washing for people including the vulnerable, children, women and People With Disabilities (PWDs) to wash their hands frequently to save lives.
Mr. Odoh urged stakeholders including traditional rulers and communities to intensify efforts towards increasing access to safe water and sanitation to mitigate transmission of diseases and creating safer environment.
The Commissioner appreciated Governor Alia for his attention to WASH sector and commended UNICEF, BERWSSA, International Organization for Migration, (IOM) and other partners for organizing the event as well as State Emergency Management Agency for mobilizing the IDPs for the exercise.
Speaking, the General Manage of BERWASSA, Mr. Tony Mkpen said they decided to take the campaign to IDP Camp due to the deplorable condition at the camps and the need for the IDPs to imbibe good hygienic practices including hand washing.
He said the day was set aside by the United Nations to create awareness on the importance of hands washing and expressed appreciation to UNICEF and other partners for donating generously to the success of the programme.
Mkpen said “We were at Ichwa camp today to celebrate the global Hand Washing Day with the IDPs. If you had been there you would have seen the unhygienic nature of the place. Hand washing is not part of us as Africans so we thought that we should take the campaign to them.
He said BERWASSA has been on the campaign on daily basis as part of their mandate which includes water sanitation and hygiene and they have been taking the message to the communities in the local government saying “this explains why the state is now 11 local governments Open Defecation Free, (ODF).”
He called on the Benue people to inculcate the hand washing practice and also use toilets lamenting that “It is the open defecation practice that is causing a lot of ailments we have around; as water carries the feaces we defecate back into the rivers.
“So we should imbibe the habit of owning toilets, using them and washing our hands after use.”
The Executive Chairman of of the State Universal Basic Education, (SUBEB) Dr Grace Adagba who donated cartons of soap to the IDPs and Scholastica Lan, PRO, Benue NGO Network, (BENGONET) advised the Benue people to imbibe the culture of handwashing at all time to reduce the incidences of contacting communicable diseases.
The Manager, Ichwa IDP Camp, Jennifer Vangeryina appreciated BERWASSA and UNICEF for choosing to celebrate with the IDPs and for the donation of the hygiene kits
The event witnessed demonstration of effective hand washing by the Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change while competition on Tap production for hand washing was also held for children from Ichwa Care River Hope House Academy, Care River Hope House Primary School Abagaba camp among others.
Some of the students who participated, Azahan Godwin and Jato Cynthia, among others all won prizes including school bags, water bottles among other consolation prizes for participation. They thanked UNICEF and state government for their efforts in ensuring better lives for them.
