By Tosin Kolade
The FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), has announced the appointment of Mrs Hannatu Danladi-Chiya, as its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) ambassador in the nation’s capital.
Danladi-Chiya, who is the wife of the Chairman, Kwali Area council, will drive the vision for making the council Open Defecation Free (ODF) and also encourage all stakeholders to prioritise hygiene practices.
Dr Mohammed Dan-Hassan, Executive Director, FCT RUWASSA, at the conferment in Abuja, said it was also to meet up with FCT’s state of emergency targets on water and sanitation issues.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the agency had said it would make Kwali area council an ODF model for others to follow, saying 10,000 toilets were being built in strategic locations in the FCT.
The executive director stated that RUWASSA found in Hannatu Chiya, a resolute patriot who is passionate about the development of the area council and the wellbeing of her people.
According to him, the project under the guidance of Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, is aimed at improving access to basic sanitation and hygiene among citizens, in line with the UN’s SDG six.
“Her appointment was in recognition of her interest in promoting sanitation and hygiene, as well as the role she plays in eradicating open defecation and other diseases associated with that.
“She is also a philanthropist and a humanitarian figure who is always ready to assist the less privileged and vulnerable groups.
“History and Kwali people will always remember her for pushing the return of monthly general sanitation exercise in the area, in her desire to keep Kwali clean”.
Dan-Hassan expressed optimism that the country would be free of open defecation by 2025, when all states and FCT implemented their own roadmap, fashion out strategies of achieving it, saying only 105 out of 774 local governments were ODF.
He noted that selection of Kwali as model for the FCT was on the recommendation of development partners and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, hence the reason for many pilot projects.
Responding, the newly decorated WASH Ambassador, attributed the success to her husband who gave her the needed support to work and engage in social activities to reposition the area council.
She pledged to extend the ODF campaign to the forum of Wives of Local Government Chairmen (WALGON).
Chiya recalled that monthly sanitation was not being observed until her assumption as first lady, pledging strict adherence to that.
“I wish to call on my colleagues in other area councils to emulate and take up the challenge of making their communities habitable”.
Also, the Supervisory Councilor of Environment, Ibrahim Shuaibu, described Hannatu as a courageous and resilient woman who surpasses some men in family building and social development.
He particularly recalled her persistent harassments of the council officials upon noticing a filthy scene around the environment, especially areas around the market.
“Each time she sees such a thing, she would in her characteristic manner give me a call, yelling, Shuaibu did you see how dirty so so place is? Better go and pack it up or I will report you and your boss on Facebook”.
He thanked FCT RUWASSA for making the right choice by appointing Madam Hannatu as Ambassador of WASH in its efforts to end open defecation in Kwali and in the FCT. (NAN)
Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi
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