The Ondo State Government says it has resolved to completely eradicate open defecation in all parts of the state to ensure a cleaner and healthier society.
Mrs Yetunde Adeyanju, Commissioner for Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, said this on Wednesday in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore Local Government area of the state, during a sensitisation programme on the need to stop open defecation.
Adeyanju disclosed that Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has given a marching order for the implementation of “Open Defecation Free Society” in six local government areas of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the six local government areas are Ifedore, Akure North, Owo,
Akoko South-East, Odigbo and Ileoluji/Okeigbo.
“We started in 2021 in Elemo Community, Amutere Community, Aro Oloruntobi Community and Ajebamidele Community, all in Ifedore Local Government Area and we gave them six months to change their defecation attitude.
“Two of them are almost close to certification and we have given other communities some weeks to comply.
“Mr Governor has given us a marching order to go out and ensure that before the end of this year, six local government areas are certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“The exercise is a continuous one and there is a team assigned to carry out the duty on daily basis.
“The campaign is toward changing the attitude of our people on defecation. It is an eyesore to defecate in the open or build your house without toilet facilities,” Adeyanju stated.
The commissioner said that after total compliance in the targeted local government areas, the government would move to other areas and ensure compliance as well.
Adeyanju, who explained that the government was getting some good results, stressed the need to join hands with the government to stop open defecation “so that faeces-related diseases would be reduced significantly”.
Mrs Funmi Akintade, the Director, Public Sanitation and Hygiene of the ministry, appreciated the commissioner for her relentless efforts in ensuring a strict follow-up to the “Stop Open Defecation Campaign”.
Akintade also commended the communities for their cooperation, urging those that were yet to comply with the campaign to do so for sanitary conveniences in their homes.
She disclosed that the government had given order to renovate the four toilets and four bathroom facilities built in Elemo Community by the MDGs, as well as make four boreholes functional for use.
” We are not going to stop until we achieve open defecation free society in these communities. We want total compliance and definitely, we are coming back to do certification.
“We don’t want you to have cholera, we don’t want you to have Lassa fever and other deadly diseases.
“You don’t need to build sophisticated toilets if you can not afford them. What you need is a simple functioning one. The aim is that our health must be secured,” she stated.
Some leaders of the communities, Messrs Ezekiah Oni, Ganiyu Adewuyi and Bakare Hammed, while commending the government, pledged that the communities would do the needful, saying the sensitisation was for their well being. (NAN)
