By 2028, the menace of open defecation would have become a thing of the past in all the entire 33 local government areas, the Oyo State government has declared.
Giving this declaration is the Chairman, Rural and Water Supply Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Oyo State, Engr. Najeem Omirinde while speaking at a one day media dialogue on the launch of open defecation free roadmap in Oyo State held yesterday at Kakanfo Inn, Joyce B. Road, Ibadan.
The media dialogue was organized by the Oyo State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) with the sole objective of soliciting the support of the media practitioners towards engaging in campaign and sensitization of the people especially in the rural communities against open defecation.
The media parley provided an opportunity for the stakeholders and the media practitioners to have a robust deliberations on different strategies and necesaary steps needed to be taken to stop open defecation in the society as well as assisting the government in formulating decisions that will help in its efforts at combating various diseases that are caused by open defecation in the State.
In his remark, Engr. Omirinde described open defecation as a serious issues and therefore, charged the media practitioners to make campaign against it as their social responsibility to contibute to the government and the society in making the state an open defecation free.
Speaking on the launch of the book on “open defecation free roadmap in Oyo State” which is being launched today at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Engr Omirinde stated that the highpoint of the document was to let the people know the reason and effect of not having toilet in their respective houses.
According to him, “we are launching this roadmap to open defecation free because it is said that prevention is better than cure. In Nigeria today, only 88 local governments are open defecation free among the 774 local government areas in Nigeria and none of the 33 local government areas in Oyo State is inclusive. Our target is that by 2028, all the 33 local governments in the State MUST be open defecation free.
This cannot be achieved without the support of the media with your information dissemination. If people know the pros and coins of open defecation they will definitely take care of it.
Open defecation is a serious menace. It is dangerous than virus, AIDs, covid-19 and so on because it kills little by little day by day. The only way out is for individuals to have toilets in their houses. Having toilet in your house is for your convenience and your safety and the effect of it is that it will contaminate our underground water which will affect the generality of the People.” Engr Omirinde declared.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, noted that government has embarked upon various measures aimed at stopping the menace of open defecation and the spread of various diseases that are inimical to the well-being of residents especially among the uneducated people in the society.
Dr Olatubosun who descriged the media dialogue as aptly and timely at this period that the government is launching the roadmap for open defecation, appreciated the UNICEF for embarking on various programmes targeting at creating a healthy environments for the people and residents in the State.
Earlier in her welcome speech, the Chief of WASH, UNICEF, Abuja, Dr. Jane Baevan described open defecation has dangerous, streesing that contact with human faeces can cause diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhea, worm infestation, among others.
She said UNICEF has been at the forefront of ensuring that Nigerians have access to safe drinking water supply, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene in their environment and communities.
Dr. Baevan added that the launch of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Nigeria and Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign were strategies to jump-start Oyo State’s journey towards ending open defecation.
She stresed further that the media dialogue is aimed at partnering with the media organizations in ensuring that people have attitudinal changes and orientation towards open defecation when they are informed and sensitized.
The participants were drawn from various radio and television stations, daily and periodic newspapers and magazines organizations, various online platforms, informations officers across the 33 local government areas in Oyo State among others.
