South-East’s unending quest to attain open defecation free society by 2025 (4)

By Odogwu Emeka Odogwu
During the long dry season, there were some actions we took that came after us as the first rains for the year 2020 dropped. The animal dungs, particularly the indiscriminate cow dungs across our streets and paths, and human excreta in the bushes and gutters though dried, floated as the flood drive them down to our streams and water sources. This is one out of the consequences of Open defecation. ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU x-rays the dangers of open defecation and the futile efforts in South-East to checkmate it before 2025.
——-Continued from (Click here for part 3)

Ogbaru community
Open defecation is a common practice in some parts of Ogbaru Local government especially the towns and villages mostly surrounded by flood and water from the popular River Niger.
An investigation revealed that the people of this area have made the practice their way of life. They resort to defecate inside floods which are mostly stagnant and river banks across many household after which same water is used for various domestic activities ranging from bathing, washing clothes, cooking and even drinking oblivious of the dangers inherent in their actions. It’s a lifestyle and poses no or little treat to them, so they believed.

Mrs Anurika Anene, an indigene who claimed to hail from Ogwu Ikpele said that the people of her locality have experienced heavy flooding in the past, hence when such scenario occur, the toilets are submerged by water hence  the open defecation system. She attributed flooding to the reason why they defecate inside water. People of these area experience flooding every year, so during these period, we don’t have options.

“My people do defecate in water and in an open places like the field or farmlands. We do not even have maybe this water system of a thing where we go for toilets. So, I see it as a very bad thing and government should help us because after defecating in the water, we use the same water for our domestic activities or services like cooking, washing of our cloths, even drank from the same water because we do not have good source of drinking water. Some of us this side drink from the sea and water surrounding us but they are not hygienic for our health.

She further said that it has been their culture to defecate inside the water and at river banks coupled with the fact that they do not have enough toilets.
” We prefer that one as we are from the riverine areas. In my area, we do not like to use toilets like myself. Personally, toilet is a waste of time.

Alfred from Akili- Ozizor in Ogbaru Local government said “We use pit toilets such that if you defecate, you make way for another person to defecate. But during the period of flooding, we prefer to defecate using canoe or boat. It is very easy and simple process. We enter canoe and defecate inside the stagnant or flowing water that surround us in our area.

“Sometimes, we defecate in flowing water where some of our faeces will be ferried by the speeding water to an unknown destination but usually the already contaminated water flow to areas where indigenes fetch water for their domestic use. Some indigenes even take their baths in the same water out of ignorance of the fact that same water had been contaminated somewhere.

“We have pit toilets but once there is flood. We abandon it for canoe which we use to defecate inside river or floods. I don’t think government can stop the practice because flood is everywhere in Ogbaru and people prefer to defecate inside these floods.”

Open defecation in Ugwuoba in Enugu and and Amansea, Awka North

The ten communities in Awka North practice open defecation but Amansea is the worst hit sequel to location of Hausa quarters for selling of cows, and goats etc at Amansea and nearby Ugwuoba in Oji River local government area, a boundary community with Amansea.
A stranger to the Hausa Quarters Popularly known as Gariki in Ugwuoba,  Oji River Local Government Area, Enugu State,  will be welcomed by devastating odour coming from bushes around the  major entrance to the market with the smell either coming from the market wastes or from cow dungs in the market.  But, on a closer inspection, the smell was as a result of defecation in bushes around the market.
Open defecation is the reigning tradition in Hausa Populated area. The traders hugely populated by Hausa were seen in their numbers move into the nearby bush, a short distant from the road individually, in batches and in groups. During the dry season the bush was scarcely green and has various terrain created by regular human movement showing that it has been a zone for defecation. During the rainy season, the defecation gets closer as many won’t walk distances inside bushes to defecate.

Why we defecate in bushes

When traders, transporters, and shop owners spoke to me after personally visiting the sites of open defecation, it was discovered that though toilets were adequately provided in Gariki Ugwuoba, people still chose to defecate openly along the road and in the bush.
A commercial motorcyclist in the area who identified himself simply as Usman said many of his colleagues go to the bush to defecate because they do not have the chance to patronize or look for any public toilets.
His words: ” As we Okada people are mobile we don’t have time for the toilets in the market. We prefer bush because it is easier and accessible to us. We just park our bike by the road side, make few steps into the bush and defecate and still watch after our bike. People’s motorcycles have been stolen ordinarily because they went in search of toilets to defecate.
He said that open defecation is fun. “Most of us are smokers and see the bush as the ideal place to defecate because it will guarantee us the luxury of time to smoke cigarrate comfortably. If you enter the bush you will understand what I’m telling you. There are options and channels inside there, some of us prefer to climb the trees there while majority that could not climb make do with ground”.

Another trader in the area, Ibrahim Abubakar said that he had been patronizing the market toilet but one particular incident made him change the practice.
“Since the three years that I have been in the market, I have been patronizing the toilets in the market but one day that I had no money and decided to go to the bush, I realised that I had been wasting my money when I have beautiful place to defecate. Sometimes, I used to consider the dangers in the bush but the dry season provided the best of opportunity to defecate inside the bush because even the faeces there will not be too bad to look at. Sometimes, when you defecate and you come the following day you will find out that sun has even dried the one of the previous day.”

Investigation revealed that most of the  Hausa traders who deal on food items do not go into the bush with tissue paper or it’s equivalent but instead a dangling remnant of a sachet water  in their hand which they use to clean their bum bum thereafter, using the same hand to sell to their unsuspecting customers.

Further information gathered from the traders at the market revealed that there are toilets made available within the markets but the toilets located at various points of the market receive very low patronage than the nearby bush. A standard toilet per say with shower is conspicuously located at the park area of the market but these facilities are abandoned for the sake of #50. Another toilet ‘Gidiwanka’ managed by an Hausa man at the same charge was also spotted in the market but these facilities are not adequately patronized especially by the Hausa traders.

An Igbo trader, Ifeyinwa Ifejika, who sells food right at the entrance of the Gariki market disclosed to the reporter that toilets in the market charge roughly fifty naira or less to people that want to defecate but such service is neglected by the majority of the traders on the conclusion or pretence that there is no money for such. She further complained of the effects of the defecation to them.

Ifejika said: ” There are toilets in the market but I don’t even defecate there, God forbid! God has made it that each time I come to market, I don’t usually feel pressed.  Before I come to market I make sure that I prepare well. According to some people some toilets in the market collect #30 while others collect #50 charge to defecate but some low income traders could not afford it. So as a result, most of them resort to the nearby bush for defecation, whether we are in a dry season or rainy and nobody disturbs since it is nobody’s business.

“The foul odour oozing from decaying human excreta was a constant menace to us especially in the rainy season. During the dry season it looked as if we are in paradise because everywhere is dry, the whole bush around the market has been littered by the excreta mostly from the Hausa traders and motorcyclists. You can hardly see them use or patronize the toilets provided in the market for public use.”

The double packing of trailers at both sides of the Enugu/ Onitsha expressway provided cover for the perpetrators constituting the young, middle aged and adults. They go as close as near-by bush to defecate irrespective of who is watching. Sometimes we step on human faeces on our way to our houses because some people defecate even along the road.  It seemed to be a norm in the area as they go in groups including the females evident that the toilets within the market had been abandoned or under – used.
Another worry scene is the accumulated wastes in the market. There was not a glimpse of any form of sanitation in a place known to be a major distribution point for cow meets and other essential food items. Flies in their thousands were seen barricading and feeding on the foods to be sold out to the public.
A woman who spoke on the condition of anonymity but revealed that she hails from Ebonyi state and deals on coconut said that during rainy season, the whole place stinks because of the accumulated waste in the market. She also said that the site where cows are butchered are not well kept resulting to strong odour.
” We have become used to the environment. They say if you cannot beat them you join them. The Hausas in the market don’t have any knowledge of hygiene. We occasionally contribute to sanitize the market but that is usually in the dry season. But during the rainy season, we could hardly breath either because of the dump that litre here and there or the high rate of defecation in bushes around the market even the remains of cows killed in the market on a daily basis are not well taken care of. The only thing they (Hausa herders) know is to kill cow and sell without a proper care of the environment.

At the Amansea Hausa quarters, there was heavy presence of butchers comprising the Hausa and Igbo. They trooped out in numbers as early as 5: 30 am to the site where cows are butchered. Cows in the area are butchered on a cemented slaughtering slab. It is not healthy to behold as the environment looked so unkempt and bereft of any occasional sanitation.

Different activities being carried out all at the same time but more surprising was the tradition kept in the arena. Because of the mixed tribe of persons at the arena, the Hausa are made to first put sharp knife across the throat of the gasping cow for a fee of #30 before butchering will ensue by non Hausa meat dealers.

It was observed that the meat dealers in Amansea have a strong union such that a non- member is not allowed to kill a cow unless he is a registered member. The union members buy cows from the Hauser cattle dealers, kill and sell either at wholesale to Jobbers (retailers) or direct to consumers.

Amansea cattle market mostly inhabited by the Hausa with petty structures mostly demarcated with bamboo stem and covered with garment like nylon sit on a massive landscape but still at that it is bereft of proper hygiene. There is no provision of toilet in the area as most of the inhabitants took their turns to defecate around the whole surrounding summing up the devastating odour that the inhabitants and visitors inhale.

The slab at the arena is not without structure but the said structure was not roofed. When queried why it was in such condition, one of the meat dealers said that it is to allow rain to flush the meats as it is being butchered.
” During rainy season is when we enjoy it the most because as we slaughter cows, rain will be washing away the blood and other dirty around the place.”  I observed that the meats were kept in a very unpleasant state mostly on bare ground and floor having good time with sands and dirty portions of the area.
Amansea Ezu River has been contaminated further with defecation and wastages from activities of meat dealers and everywhere is smelling.

Hausa Quarters Amawbia

Streams and farmlands along the Awka – Agulu road behind the Hausa quarters Amawbia have been turned to desert of defecation.
This area, the Hausa defecate in spaces very close to the major stream that is a branch of Obibia river. Before one could make any way to the river, he must first step on at least two different giant looking faeces. It is no more needful to make any use of the water since the water is being used to cleanse buttock after defecation but only God knows how far the water is useful to the people at the other village end either by drinking, washing or other means of domestic usage.

Besides the defecation, the sight of the environment where the Hausa live is a complete mess with dirt and rubbish of different nature littered round the area. There were old stock of meet continually massaged on fire and served to the public and from there suya meat mostly hawked in the streets of Awka is being produced. It was so unkempt and producing stench odour from different angles.
I observed that there lavatory was being discharged inside the stream whenever it was in use. I witnessed when it was being installed after months of complaints of stanching odour when they initially arrived. After the public outcry, they provided a public toilet channelled into the river. The same river is used by villagers at the other side for washing their clothes and mashing bitter leaf for sale. That place is an eyesore now, yet suya and so many fruits emanate from there to the larger market for unsuspecting consumers.

Continued on part 5 (https://www.odogwublog.com/south-easts-unending-quest-to-attain-open-defecation-free-society-by-2025-5/)

This investigative piece was written by Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, PhD. Odogwu, a culture and tradition aficionado and a foodie is a known Journalist, Editor, Media Consultant and famous Blogger, as well as Social Media Entrepreneur, publisher and Conversationalist @ www.odogwublog.com among others.

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