The Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday urged the House Committee on Water Resources to monitor the N2.9bn grant from the Federal Government meant expansion of water supply, sanitation and hygiene in 20 local government areas of the state.

It said the Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, for which the grant was sought, must execute the project as specified in order to address scarcity of water in the councils.

The lawmakers stated this shortly after they approved the request by Governor Seyi Makinde to take N800m loan for the agency.

The loan is targeted at attracting the N2.967bn counterpart fund from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for the expansion of water supply, sanitation and hygiene in the 20 LGAs.

They gave the approval at a session presided over by the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin.

Governor Makinde’s letter to the House read in part, “The project is aimed at improving water supply, sanitation and hygiene situation in the urban, small towns, and rural areas in the state.”

The local government areas to benefit from the project are Ibadan South East, Ibadan South West, Ogbomoso, Atisbo, Afijio, Akinyele, Atiba, Iwajowa, Iseyin, Irepo, Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East, Ibadan North East, Kajola, Oyo East, Orelope, Ona Ara, Oluyole, Saki West and Saki East.

The Speaker stressed the importance of portable water, lamenting that most communities in the state lacked hygienic water supply.

Ogundoyin said, “If the project is well implemented, residents of the state will be saved from waterborne disease.”