The National Task Group on Sanitation has confirmed that Anambra East Council Area has recorded ninety nine percent in improved toilet system.
Mr. Joseph Dada, the Group leader stated this while briefing the Commissioner for Public Utility, Mr. Emeka Ezenwnne on the outcome of their three-day validation exercise in Anambra East council area.
He stated that there is need to sustain capacity building programmes for staff of WASHCOM to upgrade their efficiency and productivity and called for budgetary allocation for WASHCOM members at local government level
He further explained that their report will be submitted to an enlarged committee headed by a Minister
In response, the Commissioner, Mr Ezenwnne represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Laz Okafor appreciated the taskforce group for the visit to Anambra state.
He added that the state is hoping for positive result from the visit and emphasized that Anambra state is also expecting open defecation free certificate as soon as possible.
Earlier the group paid a courtesy call on the traditional ruler of Umueri Community, Igwe Beneath Emeke who said that he was involved in the inspection of toilet with drop covers including hand washing facilities in his area and has continued to sensitize the people of the area on the importance of living in a clean and hygienic environment, stating that Anambra East council area should be declared open defecation-free
In his speech Mr. Joseph Dada, the leader of the group expressed his satisfaction with the conducive atmosphere in the area which he observed has gone a long way in ensuring that the validation exercise was successful.
He assured that the group will always be truthful and faithful in the discharge of its responsibilities, adding that three groups were involved in the determination of whether an area is open defecation-free, namely the local government area, the state and the national groups.
Furthermore, Mrs. Franca Madike, a member of the State Taskforce Group on Sanitation expressed her deep satisfaction with what she saw at Nando community.
She noted that all the households visited in the community have more conducive toilet system with hand-washing facilities and appealed to the communities to sustain the great height already attained in the open defecation free exercise.
As a result of the validation exercise, the team reached one hundred and fifty-four WASHCOM communities in Anambra East council area.
