Residents of some communities in Ohafia, Arochukwu, and Bende local government areas have urged the Abia State government to prioritise the campaign against open defecation in the communities.
They spoke to LEADERSHIP against the backdrop of the government‘s approval of return of sanitary inspectors in the state, noting that open public toilet practice is still prevalent in the communities.
According to Ukpai Okorie in one of the Ohafia local government area communities, the need to end the practice can‘t be overemphasized as it poses serious health and environmental dangers.
Contributing, Uche Idika in another community in Arochukwu local government area lamented that „in most cases the human waste flow into nearby stream when it rains“.
They argued that for the approval to have the desired result, „this old practice must be completely eradicated and no stone should be left unturned.“
The state‘s commissioner for Environment, Philemon Ogbonna had announced the approval while addressing heads of department of Environmental Health officers of the 17 local government areas.
He noted the important roles of sanitary inspectors to environmental health, „which primarily is preventing the spread of diseases and ensuring safe environment that promote public health and more“.
Ogbonna, who stressed that the environmental health officers should renew their licences, added that the government would only work with those that complied with the directive.
