…Commission Multi Million Water Project in Eruwa
By Adeyinka Adeniran
Guinness Nigeria PLC has partnered with Water Aid Nigeria, Oyo State RUWASSA and Living Word Mission to sensitize indigene of Eruwa and Lanlate in Ibarapa East local government ove the benefit and importance of clean and hygienic water.
The initiatives which brought about the commissioning of three water projects in separate locations in the local government is geared towards alleviating the burden which was caused by scarcity of clean and hygienic water in the communities.
According to the MD/CEO Guinness Nigeria PLC, Mr John Musunga, water is life and it is very essential. Not only water but clean and drinkable water. Thus the project is aimed at developing Guinness community initiatives based on the needs of the consumers.
“We will continue as business to evolve our programmes and we will be committed in providing solutions based on the needs of the communities”, He said.
The Corporate Relations Director , Guinness Nigeria PLC, Mr Rotimi Odusola while speaking to newsmen said the water project is one of the initiatives in the social responsibility agenda that Guinness Nigeria has.
He said, “Water is so essential to life and yes it also essential to the production of our iconic brands that our consumers enjoy but we also recognize that in communities where there are water stress, where there are challenges with water, it is an opportunity for us to intervene and provide water that is portable for the community, for generations, and we have done this in many other parts of Nigeria for three decades and longer and we are proud to be In Ibarapa East local government today launching three projects at the same time. One is in Eruwa town, New Eruwa and Lanlate. In total this is impacting up to 11,000 Nigerians.
“We are happy to do this and we know that this sort of emotive project are highly impactive and will get broader affinity to our brands.
“We have done something like this in a community in Edo state 30 years ago and it is still standing. This is a solar powered, renewable energy powered project. So it is easier for the people to maintain it.
“The wash come can maintain it and sustain it and we believe that this is a project that will be here for generations to come. There will be generations of people from this community that will enjoy this and it gives us great pleasure as a company that we are doing this today.
“We are much focus on the impact this will make rather than the cost of the project”, Mr Odusola noted.
While also commending the project, Head of WASH, Water Aid Nigeria, who is the main partner with Guinness, Mr Nanpet Chuktu, made it known that the water project is not like the one where people come, dig boreholes and leave, rather all the organizations involves ensure that the communities were carried along on the project and this is necessary for the maintenance and sustainability of the project.
He said that in partnership with Guinness Nigeria and Living word Mission, a community management structure named Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committee, WASHCOM was set up.
“All of these was done in collaboration with the local government department for Water Sanitation and Hygiene- OYO RUWWASSA.
According to Mr Nanpet Chuktu, Eruwa is not the first time Water Aid Nigeria will come to Oyo. Water Aid Nigeria is always reaching out to corporate donors such as Guinness to take on the challenge to go where there’s real scarcity.
“So we will continue to use this model such as we have in Eruwa to show other corporate organization that they have a worthy partner in Water Aid Nigeria and we can deliver quality service and at the same time build a sustainability structure to ensure that the project last for long”.
He thus urged the people of the communities to ensure that the project is well taken care of as it has been handed over to them.
“I want to charge them to take over this project, sustain it, maintain it and they will have a continuous supply of clean and hygienic water in the community”.
The chairman, Ibarapa East local government, Hon. Obalowo Olugbenga Abiodun in his speech thank Guinness and all the partners for the water project as he said it will ease the burden of water scarcity which has been in the beneficiary communities for long.
“I’m so delighted to have this kind of project in my community. You know water is life and one of the most essential needs of human is water and for Guinness Nigeria PLC to bring this kind of project to my community is a great Joy to me because I know it will ease the challenge of getting water for my people.
“As you can see, they did this project without any sentiment, they try to locate and identify areas that really need this water and did it for them, and the people of these communities are very happy because they now can access clean and hygienic water easily.
“It been long we have been battling with scarcity of water. When they came to us, we even thought they won’t do it because many has come like that, promised to give us water but they won’t, but Guinness started it and immediately they started it, I knew they would finish it. Looking at it, you will see that the project is a very big one, compare to any other water project in our community. We appreciate Guinness, he said.
