FCT RUWASSA partners Environmental Council to boost capacity

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) said it is partnering with the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) to build capacity of stakeholders and boost productivity.

RUWASSA said the move was part of efforts to entrench efficient and effective operation systems in the rural water supply and sanitation in Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking during a visit to the management of EHORECON, the Executive Director of FCT RUWASSA, Dr. Muhammed Ali Dan-hassan, said the visit had become necessary because EHORECON, though a regulatory body, has some operational lines related to RUWASSA, especially in water and sanitation.

Dr. Dan-hassan explained that RUWASSA was seeking the Council support on policy matters, professional guidelines and capacity building, adding that RUWASSA needs more Environmental Scientists and Health Officers to give “every aspect of our services a professional touch to enable us deliver on our mandate”. 

In his response, the Registrar of EHORECON, Dr. Yakubu Bala Muhammad, stressed the need for the two agencies to collaborate to make Abuja a model in environmental health, saying “there is no better time than now”.

Bala also stated that the EHORECON as a regulatory body has 21 components in its mandate and will work with host communities and galvanize the relevant forces to achieve its goals.

The Registrar also said Abuja has always been prone to endemic situations occasioned by water related diseases whenever the rain sets in, explaining that  EHORECON is looking at establishing a public health laboratory in the city to take water samples,  conduct microscopic analysis to determine factors responsible for the outbreak of the diseases.

He therefore called for the continuation of the interface between the two agencies especially in the implementation of the executive order 009 rolled out to end Open Defecation.