The Emir of Katsina Alhaji Dr Abdulmumini Kabir Usman has pledged to support the ongoing effort to attain statewide open defecation free status in Katsina State.
The Emir made the pledge when a delegation led by the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Water Resources Geologist Aminu Dambo Tukur paid him a courtesy call in his palace.
Alhaji Dr Abdulmumini Kabir Usman said the ODF program is significant for improvement of health and living condition of the citizenry, saying that the Emirate welcome such initiative.
The Emir however lamented the negative attitude of people towards maintenance and ownership of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene facilities executed for their benefits, citing an example with some water points he personnaly constructed but bacame vandalized and put out of use within short period of time.
The Emir therefore urge beneficiaries of all WASH projects to wake up from slumber and be prepared to safeguard them for sustenance.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Water Resources Geologist Aminu Dambo Tukur said they were in the Emir’s palace to thank him for his continued support to the Agency’s activities.
This is to also solicit for the Emir’s intervention for success of the planned ODF validation exercise in Batsari, Dandume, Danmusa, Faskari, Jibiya and Sabuwa local government areas.
According to him, the success achieved in attaining ODF status in twenty seven local government areas in the state couldn’t have been realized without the support and cooperation of the traditional institutions.
Geologist Aminu Tukur therefore pleaded with the Emir to direct the district heads of the affected local government areas to take part in the upcoming exercise and mobilize their subjects to attain greater success of the program in the state.