Concern Universal, an NGO, has said recurring conflicts in Agatu and Logo Local Government Areas of Benue still pose challenge toward scaling up access to sanitation and hygiene in the state.
The Group’s Programme Manager, Mr Nanpet Chuktu, said this at a meeting of Programme Coordinating Mechanism (PCM) of the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) on Friday.
He noted that the progress being made in reaching targeted objectives of increase sanitation and hygiene behaviour among communities had been slowed down due to internal conflicts.
Chuktu said specifically that internal crises in the two local government and insecurity of lives had led to drastic reduction in scaling up access to basic hygiene practices in the areas.
He said most volunteers working in the programme implementation stages were losing interest due to recurring conflicts, saying this trend needed to be reversed.
“In Agatu and Logo LGAs, we are not making much progress at scaling up access to basic sanitation and hygiene.
“This is due to displacement of the communities due to conflicts between the herdsmen and indigenes. We now have Internally Displaced Persons scattered all over the place.
“Presently, majority of them lack basic hygiene components, there are outbreaks of diseases frequently; people even defecate in the open,’’ Chuktu said.
He called on the Federal and Benue State governments to intensify efforts toward resolving farmers and herdsmen crises so as to scale up access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
Chuktu urged the state government to pay up its counterpart funds to enable local governments benefit from the RUSHPIN programme.
He said the programme had improved sanitation and hygiene attitude for over 185, 000 people in Agatu, Logo and Gwer East Local Government Areas.
“A lot of people in the three local government areas are now aware of the dangers of defecating in the open.
“The people are now informed about the importance of building and using their toilets, so it is commendable, however, much more can be achieved,” he said.
Chuktu said there was the need for more commitment from all stakeholders to improve on the achievement recorded in reducing open defecation.
Mr Emmanuel Awe, PCM Chairman, commended the Global Sanitation Fund’s RUSHPIN programme, saying that it had led to improved sanitation and hygiene and help in reducing open defecation in communities.
Awe, the Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation with the Ministry of Water Resources, reiterated government’s commitment toward supporting worthy ventures aimed at developing the nation.
He said there were plans for advocacy visits to Benue and Cross river states to enable speedy payment of counterpart funds for the programme.
He, however, called for the strengthening of collaboration between development partners to avoid duplication of activities to improve access to sanitation and hygiene.
NAN reports that Concern Universal is coordinating the campaign as part of a five-year initiative of the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria to improve sanitation and hygiene practices.