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Sorry state of public toilets

By Kemi Olatunde

My four-year old boy was pressed and needed to use the convenience during a neighbor’s baby dedication in a big Catholic Church in Akure in August. I could have taken him home but I felt that a big church with the caliber of worshippers would have the perfect toilet facilities in place. I asked for the direction to the convenience due to this notion, but on getting there, my hope was dashed as it was an eyesore. The stench which oozed out of it drove us out of the place. Although it has several rooms, none was manageable. I believe a place like that must be kept clean, more so it was a Sunday Mass. Each time I drive through the church, my boy refers to the church as “the church with the dirty toilets.”

Those were the words of a 42-year old business owner, Mrs. Bisi Ajayi, as she discussed the issue with The Hope recently.

The state of toilets in public places calls for concern. Most people have a worship centre, be it church, mosque or even shrine. On a regular basis, people gather in these places to worship their God or god. I am sure that the God they worship dwells only in a holy place. The toilet is a good part of the worship centres, and as such emphasis must be placed on its cleanliness by leaders of these places.

The hospitals too have their own share of it, especially the government owned health facilities. Although a lot of personnel meant to take care of toilets are always on ground, they have not been doing so as expected. The toilets in these hospitals should always be sparkling, but most times the reverse is the case.

According to a 42 year old mother of two, Mrs. Adeleke Adeola, the toilet area in the hospitals is an eyesore.

“I gave birth to my two children in government hospitals and I must say that my experiences on these occasions with their toilet wasn’t palatable. I used to close my eyes while having my bath in the morning. I dared not have my bath at night then. I lack the proper adjective to describe the stench that oozed out of these places. Also, the problem then was that the toilets were not enough. Imagine a post natal ward which houses 20 mothers sharing just about two to three toilets. There is need for the construction of toilets for patients in hospitals with proper maintenance culture in place.

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At the markets, the story is not palatable as most traders have turned their shops to their convenience. One would be baffled with a visit to the market during the rains as most of them make haste to dispose their  feacal waste alongside urine into the rain drops not minding the effects of such act on other residents.

A trader who has her shop along the popular provision line inside the Oja-Oba market who never revealed her identity but gave her name as Mummy Boys told The Hope that the complex comprises seven shops with a toilet facility which she does not use, due to the dirty state of the toilet.

“I don’t use it because it is a public toilet, and as a woman I don’t want to be infected; and if care is not taken, I may contact any form of infection from it. I use a small potty which I dispose off into the drainage that is for urine, but if I have to pass excreta, I manage the toilet.”

A trader in another provision shop at the back of the popular Agagu Market, Mrs. Tony Uchenna, noted that there are a lot of toilet in the market which have been neglected by most traders due to  personal reasons and dirty state of the place.

She described those involved in the dirty habit as pigs who cannot but reveal their identity irrespective of the environment they find themselves.

Her words; “I see a lot of people easing themselves inside their shop. In fact, it has become a norm especially inside Agagu market. There is a particular trader I know there that cannot do without it, in fact, she replaces her potty often. In the evening, they file out to dispose the waste; excreta and urine inside the drainage along the main Oba Adesida road and that is why nobody can withstand the stench from it(drainage). There was a day I was returning home and I passed through Agagu market and I saw a mother sending her son to dispose the day’s pile up urine into the drainage. Having heard their conversation, I quickly wanted to pave way for the boy but he outsmarted me as he hit my bag with the big bowl which housed the urine. I almost gave him a slap but I refrained. I threw the bag away after that day to avoid infection.

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“Although, they are not doing the right thing we can’t blame them too. I am not sure that the toilets are always in good state.  When you enter some toilets, you will be destabilised throughout the day as they will best be described as  eyesore. Government should put in place mobile toilet in conducive environment in markets for the use of all” A woman can easily be infected in the public toilets due to our nature.”

Vice President, Provision line traders, Mrs. Amuda Oloko stated that there are enough toilet facilities in the market noting that it is not ideal for anyone to replace the toilet with his/her shop.

“Complexes have toilets and there are also private ones where we pay N20 to urinate and N50 to defecate. Those who use their shops are dirty as it is not out of place for them to visit the toilet to ease themselves.” She said.

A fashion designer, Mrs. Tayese Joy, said that it has become a practice to most traders to ease themselves in their shops stating that she has encountered it two times.

“On about two or more occasions, I have witnessed it. There was a time I needed to purchase something from a woman which should be in her late 50s and she just told me that she needed to ease herself and before I knew it, she brought out a small paint bucket which she sat on. I was dumfounded and later left her shop for another one.

“Also, there was a time I was in the market, rain was drizzling and a trader actually bent down beside the drainage with a wrapper to cover herself to ease herself. This is not ideal in a sane society.” She said.

Reacting, General Manager, Ondo State Waste Management Authority, Mr Fola Omowole, explained that factors including availability and accessibility among others are responsible for the act.

Omowole who berated the act, called for need for  enlightenment.

His words; “There are factors responsible; availability that is, are toilets available and if yes, how many?

“Another factor is accessibility; are they accessible in terms of barrier? There can be a barrier in the market in terms of payment. There may be physical, socio-cultural or financial barrier.

“There is also acceptability issue: Are the toilets acceptable by traders? If they are dirty, they won’t use it. Is it well located? Their location is critical as it determine their acceptability. If it is poorly located, it won’t be acceptable. If the charge is not affordable, it won’t be used, hence, creating barrier in its usage.

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“There is need for hygiene education among traders as regards their inability to make use of toilet facilities in the market. It balls down to the level of exposure of traders to embrace such act.”

While speaking further, he explained that the authority has a responsibility on sanitation, noting that personnel at the Local Government, that is, the Environmental Health Officers are expected to know the sanitation situation of any building, group in the society saying ”it is their responsibility to address such matter.”

“Ondo State Waste Management Authority is a coordinating Agency which has been put in place to set standard and monitor it to ensure appropriate compliance.”

Omowole while calling on Environmental Health Officers to be alive to their duties stressed the need for the formation of market sanitation committee which according to him will encourage self regulation.

His words; “market sanitation committee should see it as antisocial regulation, set rules and enforce it to ensure discipline among traders and offenders should be punished and exposed so as to serve as deterrent to others.”

The worse hit are the work places including government and private establishments.

The female gender are those at the receiving end of the struggle to adapt to the situation. On several occasions, people look around for an alternative or better still, leave for their houses to ease themselves.

“Toilets in offices are sorry cases. I could remember when I got infected at the early stage of my career through the toilet, it was hell for me as I went through rigorous treatment procedures. Also, when we are on our period, it is difficult to maintain good menstrual hygiene as in most cases there is no water for usage alongside the dirty state of the toilet. Some of us will have to endure till we get back home to ease ourselves and this isn’t advisable health wise. It is very difficult for the female to maintain privacy when it comes to relieving themselves and that is why it is not so uncommon to see a lady/woman open herself up in a corner to pee, not minding who is peeping.” A 38-year old civil servant, Bosede Ajayi added.

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