C’River to ban open defecation in public places

The Cross River House of Assembly has passed a bill prohibiting open defecation.

The bill aims to outlaw open defecation in public places and encourage the use of proper toilet facilities statewide, with a view to improving sanitation and protecting public health across the state.

The lawmakers approved the bill on Thursday after considering a report by the House Committee on Water Resources and Sanitation, presented by its Chairman, Kingsley Ntui, representing Etung State Constituency.

Ntui said about 47 million Nigerians still practised open defecation, adding that the practice contributed to water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid.

He commended the state government’s efforts in ending open defecation and urged lawmakers to support sanitation initiatives in their constituencies.

According to him, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund and Self Help Africa, eight local government areas in the state had been declared open defecation-free.

“However, some key challenges to achieving full open defecation-free status include poor sanitation infrastructure, limited access to clean water, poverty and low public awareness,” he said.

Contributing, lawmakers said the bill aligned with national and global initiatives aimed at eliminating open defecation.

They said the law would improve environmental cleanliness and promote the overall well-being of residents of the state.

The Speaker of the House, Mr Elvert Ayambem, commended the committee for its work and expressed satisfaction with the bill’s passage.

Ayambem said the law would help create a cleaner environment, and reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to people-oriented legislation that would improve residents’ welfare.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the bill is in line with the Federal Government’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programmes aimed at achieving safe water, sanitation and hygiene services by 2030, and at making communities open defecation-free.

(NAN)