By Adeyinka Adeniran
Oyo state government and United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have insisted on recovery of loans offered by the Microfinance Institutions offered to Toilet Business Owners (TBOs).
To this end, the government and representatives of UNICEF, have set a template, towards the recovery of revolving loans from TBOs.
The decision was arrived at during a review meeting of 15-months cycle of Sanitation Revolving Fund to the affected beneficiaries, held in Ibadan. The initiative is towards making Oyo state open defecation free.
The multimillion naira loan given to TBOs in Ona-Ara and Egbeda, under the Open Defecation Free project has recorded huge success, while some TBOs have defaulted.
Miffed by the poor disposition of the defaulters, the Chairman of Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (OYORUWASSA), Alhaji Babalola Afobaje at an interface with officials of UNICEF, directed the microfinance institutions to go after the defaulters.
Recall that, the duo of Egbeda and Ona Ara local government council areas of the state, had been selected for certification as Open defecation free.
The Chairman extended his appreciation to UNICEF for supporting Oyo state government, in its quest to end open defecation.
He acknowledged UNICEF’s financial and technical support, at ensuring that the goal of ‘ODF’ is achieved in the state.
Alhaji Afobaje, expressed satisfaction on the commitment of the Microfinance institutions, on the way they had managed the sanitation revolving fund given to their institutions by UNICEF.
The Chairman emphasized that the rural communities should be given a high priority.
He equally assured the MFIs that OYORUWASSA is ready to partner with them, to ensure that the fund given to the households are retrieved.
The General Manager of OYORUWASSA, Mr. Adeduntan Adeniyi, said the enormous fund made available to the micro finance institutions for construction of toilets were judiciously used.
He said with this, Oyo state is gradually moving towards being an open defecation free state.
The General Manager, in the same vein, noted that the micro finance institutions in charge of this fund effectively managed them. He added that the fund given by UNICEF is already due for liquidation which necessitated the meeting.
Also speaking, the Unicef Wash Consultant, Miss Faith Gbagidi said the meeting became necessary in order to know the next step regarding the sanitation revolving fund.
She said steps must be taken to address bottlenecks encountered during disbursement and recovery of Sanitation Revolving Fund.
She maintained the need to review the 15-months cycle of sanitation revolving fund towards achieving a better result.
