Governor Willie Obiano has flagged off the national youth volunteer Programme for hand washing and clean Nigeria campaign for Coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention in Anambra State.
Correspondent, Chukwuemeka Modilim reports that Governor Obiano performed the exercise at the Conference Hall, Ministry of Public Utilities, at an event organized by the Ministry in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
The Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Public Utilities, Engineer Emeka Ezenwanne, explained that the programme, which will engage over two thousand youths as sanitation and hygiene ambassadors round the State for three months, will centre on the importance of safe water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) practices for COVID-19 prevention in the State.
Governor Obiano recalled that on the 31st of March this year, a team from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and National Taskforce on hygiene, after their work in Anambra East Local Government Area, declared the area open defecation-free, which made it the only local government in the entire South East that is free of open defecation.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for recognizing the fact that he has declared a state of emergency on WASH, assuring that he is committed to ensuring that all the local governments in the State are free of open defecation.
In his address, the Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu, represented by Mrs. Chinyere Obiano, revealed that the National Youth Volunteer Programme is one of the interventions of the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
Engineer Adamu said that it will involve the engagement of one hundred youth volunteers in each of the seven hundred and seventy-four local government areas across the country, for community sensitization and awareness creation on safe water, sanitation and hygiene practices for COVID-19 prevention over a three months period.
On her part, the UNICEF WASH Manager, Mammita Thakkar said the Programme marks a major step towards running WASH at the centre stage of COVID-19 response, with hand washing and hygiene as the pillars.
She maintained that UNICEF will partner the State government to build capacities and skills of the volunteers on water and sanitation, social mobilization techniques, hygiene promotion approaches, to ensure that they deliver on their core mandate.
In her goodwill message, the Chairman of Havilah Clean Environmental Foundation, a consultant for the programme, Pastor Gbemiga Olakunle represented by Mrs. Ugochi Freeman observed that government expenditures on public health issues, especially in combating COVID-19 and its spread will be drastically reduced if due attention is paid for the prevention of the outbreak of such diseases by maintaining clean environment through proper advocacy and enlightenment campaigns.
On his part, the Traditional ruler of Umueri, Igwe Ben Emeka, assured that he will continue to drive the campaign on the importance of hygiene in his community to curb Coronavirus pandemic.
In a vote of thanks, Mr. Emeka Anigbogu, who represented youths on the occasion, promised that they will be good ambassadors of WASH by taking the message down to the grassroot.
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