Plateau State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Assures Committee on Water & Sanitation of Collaboration

The Plateau State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief. Ephraim Usman Gar has stated that the Ministry and the 17 Local Government Councils will do everything possible to ensure that the present administration under the leadership of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang succeeds in delivering the dividends of democracy to the citizens of Plateau State. The Commissioner disclosed this when the Plateau State committee on water and sanitation coordination team led by the Honorable Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, Hon. Bashir Lawandi Datti paid a courtesy call on the Ministry.

In statement by the Information Officer, Edward Bulus Damwesh, it was noted that Hon. Usman said that the Ministry will liaise with the 17 Local Governments to ensure that they support the effort of the state government in the area of water supply and eradication of open defecation in the rural areas.

Earlier in his remarks, the commissioner of Water Resources and Energy who is also the chairman of the committee, Hon. Bashir Lawandi Datti said that they were in the Ministry to seek its partnership alongside the 17 Local Government Councils to address the problem of water shortage and open defecation in the state. Also speaking, a member of the committee, Mr. Jonathan Malan disclosed that the Governor of Plateau State will soon launch a programme under the theme, “keep Plateau clean and use the toilet”, hence the need for partnership for the success of the programme in all the 17 Local Government Councils in the state.

He called on all the Local Government Councils in the state to support the programme by implementing it at the grassroots to overcome the challenge of open defecation.

Also at the Ministry were officials of the Plateau State Cooperative Federation, Women’s Wing led by Mrs. Patricia Manasseh Agabus who stated that they were at the Ministry to seek collaboration with the 17 Local Government Councils in bringing women together to join the new cooperative federation with the aim of saving for better future.

Responding, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Ephraim Usman Gar, said, the door of the Ministry is open to organizations that have programmes that will benefit its members.Chief Usman commended them for empowering women through cooperative societies and promised to collaborate with them to advance their initiatives.