Kaduna residents have been warned against vandalization of government properties, especially water supply and sanitation facilities in their communities.

The Sustainable Urban , Rural Water Supply and Hygiene (SURWASH) Program Coordinator in Kaduna, Engineer Esau .A Ambinjah, gave the warning during the Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure in Collaboration with First Impression Communication Limited Pre-Testing Workshop on SURWASH Messages held in Kaduna.

He enlightened the people that when they vandalize government properties, they were doing more harm to themselves because they are the most beneficiaries of those facilities.

“These are facilities provided by the government for people to use and to alleviate your sufferings and protect them from water related diseases but unfortunately these facilities when finished and handed over to communities, the communities leave the facilities for vandals to vandalize and make them not useful.”

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“So it’s our wish that the beneficiaries of these facilities should protect the facilities because government cannot provide facilities for you and you expect the government to also provide security for those facilities .

“The facilities are meant for the people to use so they should take the responsibility of protecting them for longer period and so the people should not allow vandals to destroy them.”

He also said SURWASH is a World Bank-supported project for the provision of water supply and sanitation hygiene in both rural and urban communities of the state.

He listed six selected LGAs in the state to benefit from water and sanitation facilities to be constructed in their localities to include Jema’a, Jaba, Chikun, Igabi , Sabon Gari and Soba but said the state government also intended to embody about 7 more LGAs into the project.

Similarly, Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure, Commissioner Achetect Hamza Ibrahim represented by Acting Director Water Resources David Roven Aliyu also urged residents to adapt the best practices in handling water supply and sanitation facilities within their environment.

He also commended the Stakeholders in attendance for their interest in ensuring the SURWASH project succeed in the state.

In his brief remarks the Consultant from First Impression Communication Limited, Yusuf Idris, said the essence of the pre testing workshop was simply to provide opportunities for the participants and other stakeholders to access the information or messages and make observation before dissemination to the Public.

He also said the workshop provide chances to identify ambiguity of the messages if any , identify gaps in the messages among others. He further commended the participants for their observation during the workshop.