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NEWSAN Tasks States On Transparency In Portable Water Supply

Published

5 years ago

December 31, 2020

Mustapha Suleiman

The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), has urged state governors to allocate more resources to ensure portable water supply to Nigerians.

This call was made by the NEWSAN, National Coordinator, Mr. Benson Attah during a high-powered visit to Kaduna state.

NEWSAN is a coordinating network of over 300 Civil Society Organisations, Non- Governmental Organisations, and Community Based Organisations in water, sanitation, and hygiene spread over six geopolitical zones of Nigeria to ensure access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities for all Nigerians.

Attah said that NEWSAN had prior to Kaduna visit, visited Ekiti, Benue and Cross River states in its efforts to ensure that state governments nationwide comply with. So, Kaduna was the last state we visited on the high-level advocacy visit being carried out by the NEWSAN national executive committee.

Citing reasons for the visit, Attah said that it was meant to actualize its plans and concerns about the ways water sanitation are being managed particularly at the state level.

He said, “ NEWSAN have been concerned about the ways water sanitation are being managed particularly at the state level and we have discovered that states come up with a budget, but such budget are not released for implementation. Sometimes, they come up with very minimal amount, we have seen a state where only 1 million naira was released for WASH for a whole year and we are wondering was that to pay the staff salaries or buy groundnut. What would I million naira do for a whole sector in a state? And we have also seen a state where they approved money for WASH in their 2015 budget and at the end, the 500 million was released, going to see what the money was released for, we could not trace anything.

“No activities, no projects could be traced for that amount, so they just used the WASH sector as a pipeline to siphon the money and that was a political, electioneering year, so, they used it for election and this is deceptive because any other person who doesn’t know will think such state is doing very well. And it could mislead the developing partners from even paying attention to such a state because they will assume a state that is releasing 500 million nairas is doing well. And that state they assumed is doing well might even be the worst.’’

He reiterated NEWSAN’s commitment to work closely with stakeholders under the support of the Water Supply Collaborative Council (WCC) and Sanitation and Water for all (SWA) in improving water sanitation across the country.

The NEWSAN coordinator noted that in the past, the water sector was driven by the development partners, but was supposed to be the responsibility of the government to drive the process as applicable in every sector in the country.

He, however, commended the current minister for Water Resources Engr. Suleiman Hussein Adamu for his proactive measures in driving the process that will lead to safe water delivery to Nigerians as envisioned by WASH.

He said that the organization has trained its members in the aspect of budget monitoring in the area of water supply and sanitation to ensure accountability and probity on the part of the government and all stakeholders.

Attah stressed that adequate clean water supply, toilet availability to curb open defecation as well as robust budget allocation for the water sector will go a long way in addressing the health epidemic nationwide.

He also urged the government at all levels to support the girl-child in the provision of sanitary pads to save them from the challenges they face in their monthly menstrual flow, which he said is harrowing especially when they are from poor families and cannot afford to pay for the sanitary pads.

He said, ‘’ some girl-child don’t go to school during their menstrual period just because they cannot afford to buy sanitary pads and don’t want to face the embarrassment that goes with it in public. So there is a need for government to make sanitary pads free at schools for the girl-child.’’

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

3 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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