By Josephine Oguntoyinbo

In its determination to put an end to open defecation in Ondo State, the state government yesterday organised a one day advocacy/sensitization workshop for the Heads of Local Government Administrators and other stakeholders in the state.

Declaring the workshop open in Akure on behalf of the State government, the State Commissioner for Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Mr Sunday Akinwalere affirmed that the state government is dedicated to putting at bay open defecation practice.

He charged residents of the state to imbibe the culture of cleanliness by keeping their environment clean and equally put a stop to open defecation.

According to him, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has directed them to ensure synergy with stakeholders, including the local government Administrators towards ending the practice.

He informed that joint tax force will be put in place to further strengthen the system, noting that “more public toilets will be built and the water scheme, “Kamomi ko dirorun” will be continued to ensure people have access to potable water across the State.”

In his opening address,the General Manager, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Mr Rotimi Oladimeji noted that the workshop became imperative to develop common synergy in water sanitation and hygiene services in the State.

He noted that the local government administrators play significant role towards ending open defecation, saying that the target is to ensure three to four local governments are declared open defecation free before the end of the year.

The Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission, Dr Bayo Ilawole believed that open defecation is a menace that must be jointly tackled headlong because of its negative effect on everyone.

He pledged the local governments’ full support for the programme toward achieving the set goal.

In their goodwill messages, the representatives of UNICEF, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, and Clean Nigeria jointly advocated for collaboration and synergy to eliminate open defecation in the year 2025.

They noted that local government administration is the closest to the grassroots, hence the need to effectively participate towards achieving the set objective.

While affirming that apart from bringing a negative social stigma to Nigeria, open defecation also poses obvious environmental, health, and economic hazards in the society.