Abia Govt Tasked On Open Defecation In Rural Communities

A community health expert in Abia State, Linda Arisa, has urged the state government to take the Open Defecation-Free campaign to the rural communities where the practice  is most prevalent.

Arisa spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday at the end of a two-day engagement, sensitisation and capacity-building workshop in Umuahia, the state capital.

She said the programme, themed, “Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet Campaign,” would not have its desired impact unless it is taken to every nook and cranny of such communities.

“As I speak,” she explained, “open community toilets are still prevalent in some communities in Abia North zone notably Ohafia, Bende and Arochukwu local government areas.

“Unfortunately, when it rains, the human waste flows into near-by streams which poses serious threat to both humans in particular and the environment in general.

“This is what I mean by ‘most prevalent.’ So, the need to intensify the campaign in those communities must be emphasised to achieve the desired result. The programme, I must say, is highly commendable.”

The workshop, organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in collaboration with the State Ministry of Power and Public Utilities, drew participants from various segments of the society.

The commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday said the programme was timely and aligned with the government’s agenda on health and the environment.

Monday, warned that defecating by the roadside, bushes and near water sources leads to deadly diseases, adding that the government would do everything possible to end the practice.

He lauded the Federal Ministry Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation for bringing the campaign to the state and urged the participants to pay attention to the deliberations.