South-East’s unending quest to attain open defecation free society by 2025 (7)
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 part 6 (https://www.odogwublog.com/south-easts-unending-quest-to-attain-open-defecation-free-society-by-2025-6/)
Enugu state open defecation
About 2017, no fewer than 32 communities in Igboetiti Local Government area of Enugu state received certificates for achieving “Open Defecation Free (ODF)” status in the state.
Mr Charles Egumgbe, the Enugu state Commissioner for Water Resources, said with the attainment of the status, diseases associated with the open defecation would soon be history in Enugu state.
Mrs Felicia Ikpeama, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Water, expressed joy over the achievement and advised that the situation and sanitation should be sustained.
“One thing is to build toilet and another is to maintain it because our problem is maintenance, as we have built sanitary toilets let us seek ways of providing water otherwise it will still be unhealthy for human use’’.
The Chairman of Igboetiti, Mr Malachy Agbo, said that cases of diseases associated with open defecation had reduced drastically in the locality. He said: “When this programme started here some years back, we witnessed all sort of diseases in the communities, but today the diseases have reduced, showing that we have done much. We have done much in the sense that among five local government areas that keyed into the sanitation programme, we have the highest number of communities that attained the status, but we still need to do more.
Mrs Janet Ngene, the Coordinator, Community Health Initiative (CHI) Nigeria, said that Igboetiti’s achievement was worthy of emulation. Ngene said that she was not surprised with the achievement as efforts were made to get Igboetiti to receive much attention to achieve ODF.
But by January this year, Enugu State declared a state-of-emergency in its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector, an indication that its efforts have relapsed. The state government also established an 18-member inter-ministerial committee to revamp the WASH sector. The declaration comes after a series of advocacy meetings between state officials, Enugu’s water utility provider, the ministry of water resources, and civil society organisations, to reinforce Nigerian citizen’s rights to safe drinking water.
According to WaterAid Nigeria, over half (2.37 million) of Enugu residents lack basic water services. The two key outcomes expected from this declaration were improved water supply and end to open defecation in Enugu State and immediately after the declaration, the #ClaimYourWaterRights team, led by Hope Spring Water, visited the Special Adviser to Enugu’s Governor on Water Resources, Dubem Onyia – who will head the inter-ministerial committee – to learn their plans to improve the state’s water supply.
Onyia also confirmed that the state’s WASH Policy, which has long stalled, would be passed into law before the end of January. Another development is an ongoing dialogue for the receipt of $50 million from the French Development Agency (AFD) for the revamp of Enugu State Water Corporation. In terms of advocacy and capacity building, he reiterated the need to collaborate with civil society and development partners.
Meanwhile, an Enugu-based non-governmental organisation Likeminds Progressive Forum (LPF) has handed over a block of three modern toilets and three bathrooms it built for inmates of the psychiatric section of the Enugu State Rehabilitation Centre, Emene Enugu.
Commissioner for Gender Affairs and Social Development, Princess Peace Nnaji inaugurated the project.
Chairman of Likeminds, Chuks Obiweluozor, expressed satisfaction with the modest achievements of the group which he said was formed 14 years ago in a beer parlour before it was eventually registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission.
“We used to spend so much on beer; with some persons taking up to 10 bottles at a sitting. But with time, we agreed that we would cut down on beer intake and use the rest to support the less privileged,” he disclosed.
He said that it was during the forum’s charity visit to the rehab centre in 2016, that they identified the need to assist the inmates by providing additional toilet facility to augment the existing ones.
Recall that, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration gave out N44 million for provision of borehole and solar system so that they can have light and be able to flush their toilets and do their daily routine.
As well, Mr Christopher Ogbu, the Coordinator of Small Towns Water and Sanitation Unit, Enugu State Ministry of Water Resources, has lauded the government for earmarking N1 billion for the construction of public conveniences to check open defecation in Enugu state.
Speaking on the government’s plan, Ogbu said that the project would help to enhance environmental hygiene in the state, when fully operational.
He described the project as a good step towards the realisation of the laudable objective of the Water Aid Nigeria, being sponsored by the Bill Gate Foundation.
He said that the project would be built in public places like markets, motor parks, schools and health facilities.
Ogbu said that outfits, such as fuel stations, eateries, places of worship and hotels should be mandated to build toilets on their premises.
“The highways in the state should also be considered as part of the efforts to eliminate open defecation totally, ” he said.
He said that the problem was not always about building projects but maintaining them.
Ogbu said that government would engage people that would maintain the conveniences.
He drew the attention of the state government to the need to monitor the communities that were certified Open Defecation Free by the Water Aid Nigeria.
He said that 70 clusters and communities had been persuaded to build public toilets, adding that they needed to be closely monitored to ensure they did not relapse to open defecation.
He regretted that the Monitoring and Evaluation Officers at the state and Local Government Areas under the Water Sanitation and Hygiene Units (WASH) lacked the logistics and funds to organise workshops for communities.
He therefore urged the state and local governments to approve yearly subventions to the officers to enhance their operations.
The Enugu State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Greg Nnaji, said the state had proposed the construction of Public Conveniences that would assist to end Open Defecation in the state.
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness and above all, the Federal Government of Nigeria has taken the move to end open defecation.
“Enugu as the then capital of Eastern Region and capital of Enugu State presently, needs to end open defecation to compliment Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s effort at cleaning up the city.
“Construction of the public conveniences is in line with the Federation Government’s quest to end open defecation by 2025,” he said. Nnaji added that Enugu State had been identified and classified as one of the cleanest states for two years now.
“To complement that, the government has in 2020, budgeted for the construction of public conveniences across the cities in the state. “The convenience places will as well serve travellers and as part of infrastructure development in the state, ” he said.
The commissioner said that the provision of public conveniences was the best to end open defecation in the state.
“You see, the psychology of people is directional and if you direct them to a purpose they will follow.
“In the past, there have been no such facilities but now the facilities will be in place; we will follow it up with advocacy and training”.
Nnaji noted that the public conveniences would serve the markets and travellers better and that Ogbette Market people would embrace the project. “I believe that the project will improve the hygiene of the Ogbette Main Market traders and people who stream into there on daily basis for their business.
“All we are talking about, is modern conveniences, maintenance facilities and management.
“These things will be put in place to ensure that the reality of providing all projects and committing the state’s N1 billion will be realised in its fullness,” Nnaji said.
Imo state open defecation
The head, Sanitation Imo Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) Nze Awumuonye Nwaneri had in 2012 said that over 3511 households’ communities in Orogwe, Imo State, are living without household latrines while 200 had built toilet facilities after hearing the dangers of open defection. He spoke during a one-day state level reviewing meeting on Community-led Total Sanitation,(CCLTS), held in Orogwe in Owerri West LGA of Imo State. This by extension is alarming for open defecation in Imo state. This is still increasing and in an alarming proportion in the 21st century.
Hence, the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority in Owerri, Imo State capital, has stressed the need for collaborative efforts of south eastern state governments to end open defecation in the region.
Its Executive Director of Planning and Design, Dr. Ben Aneke, made the call in Owerri during the advocacy meeting with a coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Imo State. The coalition was led by Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation.
The meeting was part of the organisation’s #ClaimYourWaterRights campaign in preparation for the 2020 Water Action Month annual campaign.
According to Aneke, the states’ ministries of water resources, education, health, agriculture and environment, ought to be involved in the Clean-Nigeria-End-Open-Defecation Campaign.
Why expressing happiness with the zest with which the CSOs in Imo State were sensitising rural communities, he called on individuals and groups to join hands to end open defecation.
He recalled that in the past, sanitary inspectors were responsible for clean environment in rural areas and called on the states in the south east to reintroduce it.
“We’re therefore, calling for a return of sanitary inspectors in various communities and local government areas in Southeast.
“There is need to reintroduce these inspectors. We want to call on the state governments in Southeast to reintroduce it so that people will begin again to have clean environments,” he said.
Aneke disclosed that the authority had concluded plans to reach out to about 95 local government areas in southeast and traditional rulers for the advocacy and sensitisation campaigns.
He said: “There is an ongoing campaign by the honourable minister to end open defecation even in market places. There should be toilets in markets with running water so that the place will not be messed up.
“We’re also saying that toilets and water should be provided in schools to discourage open defecation because many schools don’t have toilets and their pupils go into the bushes to defecate.
“The implication of the open defecation is that the mess is washed down into the streams while flies or insects perch on them and return same to our fruits and foods.”
The team leader of the coalition and the campaign manager of Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation, Clinton Ezeigwe, said the visit was to follow up on the government’s commitments on WASH and how the CSOs were aligning their actions to contribute to the national goals.
“It is our strong believe that joint actions by all stakeholders can push the water, sanitation and hygiene sector forward,” he said.
He further noted that “with 10 years to achieve universal access to water and sanitation (SDG 6), there’s no time for false promises. We need urgent financing and delivery of services”.
Meanwhile, Owerri, the Imo State capital and its environ especially public buildings and places have become subjects of polluted air following the oozing out of offensive odour from faeces and urine noticeable here and there even as Dr. Chidinma Nwaokoro, a Public Health Consultant with Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri says open defecation is a serious threat to national health if it remains unchecked.
Dr Nwaokoro said that many epidemics associated diseases and sicknesses are aftermaths of open defecation while lamenting against the apathy been shown to Public Health protections by various tiers of Government in Nigeria.
It’s pertinent to inform that Control Post areas and Owerri – Irete Express Road is one of the areas worst hit by the open defecation assaults as the area is densely populated with 24 hours commercial activities and no Public convenience in sight. It’s as if it is a fundamental human rights seeing adults urinating and defecating here and there within the area.
Honestly, for decent minds, the area is a total messed up even with jungle justice, more so many of the people doing businesses in the area depicts abject poverty as they include beggars and local urchins.
They equally use the area as their residential quarter as they bath openly and defecate at will within any available space.
The area is so nauseating that all kinds of offensive odour oozes out as most strangers are forced to close their nose while passing and even spit signifying disgust.
Ironically, this area accommodate many food vendors popularly called in local parlance as ” Mama put ” and there’s every indication to say that the people staying in these areas have been immuned to the offensive odour as they moved around unperturbed even in the midst of the human faeces being seen here and there.
Surprisingly, many schools in Owerri Metropolis and its environ have fallen victims of these environmental defecation like Modern Primary School along Whetheral Road and Emmanuel College along Douglas Road.
Mr Richard Opara and Mrs Chinwendu Iwuchukwu, Head Teacher and Vice Principal respectively decried how some people have turned their school compounds into dumping of human waste.
They complained bitterly that every day their pupils and students are subjected into removing human faeces mostly around their classrooms and football pitches before commencing any activity for the day.
They pointed out that the issues are not in the overall interest of the pupils and students considering their ages insisting that they are unduly being exposed to infectious health hazards while accusing bad boys and homeless beggars of perpetrating the ills.
The teachers also informed that the matter have been reported both to the school management board and Ministry of Health and without any positive results while appealing to the state government on the need for accelerated actions.
Similarly, around Ama Hausa axis which is along Douglas and Royce Roads in Owerri, the stories are the same and even an eye sour. The area is also highly populated with serious 24 hours commercial activities , there seems not to have any designated place of convenience. Many members of the Hausa community inhabit the area while some dwells a long the road paths.
It’s not news again seeing water proof containing human faeces being thrown out and often people steps on them unknowingly and a times vehicles over ran and it splits causing more havoc to human health.
However, Mrs Cynthia Okoroafor a Public Health officer with the State Ministry of Health said that the Ministry is aware of the areas prone to defecation and it’s Health implications while insisting that she doesn’t have the capacity to speak to the press on such issues saying that it’s the prerogative of the Permanent Secretary since the Commissioners are yet to be appointed as at the time of engaging her. The Perm Sec was not in the office and his phone was not reachable as at the time of going to the press.
Meanwhile, the immediate past Imo state governor, Emeka Ihedioha banned open defecation in the state at Concorde Hotel in Owerri, during the 2019 global handwashing day celebration organized by the state Ministry of Public Utilities in collaboration with Imo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (IMORUWASAA).
In addition, the former governor ordered the close observation of handwashing activities in schools in the state, for effective adherence to the policy on hand washing. He said the policy was aimed at improving the practice of hygiene and sanitation in the state.
As well, the chairman of the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD), Imo State chapter, Chigozie Uzosike, called on the incoming Governor to work with coalition on technical contents of the achievement of SDGs in the state.
Uzosike noted that going by the Goal 6 of the 17 goals, by 2030, the state should achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all; access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, stressing that the need to end open defecation must be taken seriously, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations would have been captured.
He regretted that Imo State, which used to be known as the cleanest state, East of the Niger, has been turned into isolated slum, especially that it bothers about the hazards and contamination of diseases that are caused by the waste heaps that greet one on arrival to the state. Is Governor Hope Uzodimma going to head this suggestion or?
World Vision Receives $40 Million for Water Sanitation in Africa
This is a cheering news as Christian humanitarian organization, World Vision has announced a $40 million gift from philanthropists David H. and Dana Dornsife in support of water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in twenty-four African countries.
With the gift, World Vision will work to create a new water, sanitation, and hygiene business plan for the future and advance its goal of ensuring clean water for everyone, everywhere it works, by 2030. World Vision previously committed to reach twenty million people with clean water by the end of 2020 and has reached sixteen million people to date.
Longtime supporters of the organization, the Dornsifes have invested a total of $115 million in World Vision’s clean water programs, including gifts of $35 million in 2011 and $40 million in 2016. David Dornsife is chair of Herrick Corporation, a steel fabrication company, while Dana Dornsife is the founder and CEO of Lazarex, a not-for-profit organization focused on equitable access to clinical trials for cancer patients in the U.S.
“The Dornsifes have been foundational for World Vision, becoming the largest nongovernmental provider of clean drinking water on the planet and reaching one new person with clean drinking water every ten seconds,” said World Vision U.S. president Edgar Sandoval, Sr.
“To encourage others to join us, our requirement is that every dollar we donate is matched by other donors,” said Dana Dornsife. “World Vision’s water, sanitation, and hygiene program empowers women and girls and is the basis for good development so communities can lift themselves out of poverty.”
Conclusion
The world toilet day was recently celebrated with the aim of reminding the members of the society the need to use toilet for their defecation, though not many people really appreciated or even know the reason for such celebrations.
Open defecation is common in other climes in the West and North than Igbo land because no matter the level of backward a society is in the South East, there is tendency for such environment to set structures and buildings which will properly take care of people’s toiletry needs.
The need to have a decent place for defecation is very important and imperative because the issue apart from the capability to cause health hazards is equally an eye sore and thus projects the society as very backward.
It is unimaginable that in this age of technological breakthrough, people still expose their private parts all in the name of answering the call of nature, thus presenting a society as barbaric and backward. It is abnormal to build public structures without functional toilet facilities.
There is need for relevant government agencies to wake up to their responsibilities of monitoring compliance to campaign against open defecation as well as ensuring those building public structures provide toilet facilities. As well, government should wake up and use the revenue generated from markets etc to provide toilet facilities and other amenities.
Politicians as well can assist in using their constituency projects to provide toilet facilities for public places like markets, garages to mention but a few.
All hands must be on the deck to effectively tackle the issue of open defecation in the society with a particular reference to our markets, highways and institutions as the issue has indeed become a time bomb that is capable of throwing the society into dangerous health issues.
Concluded.
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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