UNICEF: 1.4m Ekiti Residents Engage in Open Defecation ...Second highest in Nigeria

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The United Nations Children's Endowment Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday revealed that no fewer than 1.4 million residents of Ekiti State still engage in open defecation.



The global organisation, therefore, lamented that this accounted for why Ekiti was ranked second in open defecation practice in Nigeria and among the South-west states.



UNICEF said there was need for more concerted efforts to stamp out the scourge across the 36 states of the federation now that Nigeria has been ranked second in open defecation globally.



UNICEF Chief Field Officer, Akure, Ondo State, Dr. Tushar Rane, stated this in Ado Ekiti yesterday during the ‘Open Defecation-Free’ celebration for 54 rural communities in Ekiti West and Gbonyin Local Government Areas that have been declared free by the international body.


Rane added that: "Nigeria was ranked second to India in open defecation globally, and this is unwholesome and deleterious to the well-being of the citizens.

 

"The recent mapping survey conducted by Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) revealed that 1.4 million people practice open defecation in Ekiti State, second in ranking in Nigeria and South-west region.



"We salute the resolve of the state government to make water available to every household in Ekiti State this is commendable because the practice of open defecation constitutes great hazards to people's health.


"The celebration here today shows that we can do it. We can make the state and Nigeria open defecation-free, if the right steps are taken.



"In all these rural components, UNICEF helped those who have the means and those who didn't have the means to build  toilets in their homes to achieve this feat that will be of benefit to our health."



The state Commissioner for Public Utilities, Bamidele Faparusi, said the state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had given an executive order that no one should practice open defecation and that it has become illegal for anyone to get involved in the act.


"Every household must have a toilet. If people built their houses and considered it worthy to build a kitchen, I believe that they must consider it expedient to also build a toilet.


"Go out and spread the news  that it has become a grievous offence in Ekiti State to defecate openly. 

"Open defecation poses a lot of health hazards. This celebration will stimulate other communities to comply and key into one-house-one-toilet campaign. Fifty four communities have been declared open defecation-free by UNICEF, and by 2020, all the small towns in the two council areas will assume the same status,” Fayemi said.



The Chairman, state House of Assembly Committee on Public Utilities, Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, assured the state that necessary legislations would be put in place to criminalise the act for all the 16 council areas in the state in order to be free from reckless defecation.


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