Ondo State Government has commenced construction of modern toilet at Elegbeka in Ose Local Government Area of the State as part of efforts of the present administration to stop open defecation with a view to ending the menace in the society.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Pastor Emmanuel Igbasan who disclosed this during sensitization program on open defection in the Community, said government would build public toilets in public places.
Pastor Emmanuel Igbasan, who is also the Chairman State Steering Committee on Open Defecation advised residents of Local Government Areas across the State especially in the rural areas to imbibe the practice of using toilets in order to prevent breakout of endemic diseases which may occur due to defecation in public places.
According to him, "open defecation attracts grave health consequences for all human beings. It is a destroyer of our health and pollutant of our environment. Similarly, anytime we step out to openly defecate, we are deliberately inviting water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid to ravage the people''.
He further explained that the ease associated with the age-long practice might make it attractive but has grave health consequences on everyone not only in the Local Government Area, but anywhere there is open defecation.
Pastor Igbasan said there is need for more concerted efforts to stamp out the scourge across the States now that Nigeria had been ranked second in open defecation globally.
He said Nigeria was ranked second to India in open defecation globally and this is unwholesome and deleterious to the well-being of the citizens.
The Commissioner, who analyzed that about Five Hundred and Eleven Thousand (511,000) toilets are needed in private residence and about One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Six (1756) toilets are required in public places such as Schools, Motor Packs, Hospitals across the State, promised that the administration would build save, hygienic public toilets.
He said it was on this premise that a Committee on Open Defecation was inaugurated last year by the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeretolu to ensure that everybody in the State has access to functional and hygienic toilets.
Pastor Igbasan, explained that government would make the program a community led effort in such a way that people would take ownership of it in their different domains, communities, families and other areas of influence.
He therefore called on them to cooperate with the government and take responsibilities of sensitizing the people on need to have a good toilet in their respective houses and to make it known to them the adverse effects of open defecation to their health and environment.
In his remarks, the Director of Local Government Administration, in the Local Government, Engr. Dayo Akinseloyen, who condemned in strong terms, the act of open defecation, called on the people in the area particularly women to embraces the hygienic measures put in place by the present administration.
Also speaking, the Baale of Elegbeka, Chief Olorunyomi Olaye who appreciated the kind gesture of the present administration, however solicited for more infrastructural development for the Community.
Banjo Egunjobi,
Media Manager,
MEP&B.
