By Banke Ogundayomi

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Determined to ensure that facilities are maintained across various communities in Ondo State, the State Government has trained residents on ways to take ownership and protect facilities under their purview.

The training was a collaboration involving the Ondo State Rural Water Supply and Agency (RUWASA) and a foreign donor agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

The workshop, had in attendance, artisans from  villages who were trained on maintenance of various pumps which included; hand pump, Solar and motorized pumps.

Declaring the training open, the state Commissioner for Water Resources and Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Alhaji Aburumaku Fatai Olotu, said the training would complement the efforts of the Akeredolu-led administration towards ensuring that people of the state have access to qualitative health through treated water.

He said that the programme was aimed at training people at the grassroots, artisans and wash ambassadors in various local governments on how to sustain and maintain water facilities across the state and to have sense of ownership.

“This would compel them to have sense of belonging and carry out maintenance of likely broken down boreholes and other facilities even in the other sectors of the environment.”

The commissioner admonished Nigerians to imbibe the culture of maintenance and shun the attitude of allowing government’s facilities to rot away in their communities.

Admonishing the participants, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Olabode Yusuf, urged them to develop maintenance culture and see government projects, specifically water  infrastructure projects as their own and take ownership to ensure that the facilities are properly maintained.

General Manager of the agency, Engr Oladimeji Emmanuel  and Director of Water and Sanitation, Mr Akiyomi Olumide who enjoined the communities to justify government’s huge investment on those facilities by maintaining them and ensure they function regularly.

Describing JICA as an agency from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japanese Government which provides official development assistance for developing countries, its representative, Mr Sato Shohei said they have offices in 96 countries across the globe whom they render various assistance to.

He admonished the trainees who were trained on boreholes maintenance and provided with tools, to ensure that  boreholes in their communities are working perfectly and constantly

The JICA Nigerian Consultant, Sam Andeyang, said the intervention was aimed at training artisans, mechanics and electricians on the required skills needed to install, operate and maintain boreholes in their communities