Kwara State Government has warned residents of the state against open defecation as a way of curbing the spread of preventable diseases.
In a statement by the Press Secretary, Lekan Onilu, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Dr Afolabi Ezekiel Adesola gave the warning in Ilorin yesterday while speaking at a day training programme for officers in charge of Water Sanitation and Hygiene.
The training programme which had about 50 participants was at the instance of the Kwara State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA).
Speaking through the Director Hydrology, Alhaji Suleiman Ismaila Gada, the Permanent Secretary noted that a safe and hygienic environment is very paramount to present administration in the state.
He explained that the programme was organised to basically intimate participants on the importance of water sanitation and hygiene.
The Permanent Secretary described the roles of Water Supply and Hygiene (WASH) officers as crucial in educating and enlightening the people in the rural areas on consequences of open defecation.
He said the seminar was expected to serve as a reminder for the officers and rural dwellers on important components of water sanitation and hygienic environment.
He advised the WASH officers to stay in touch with the people in the rural communities and perform their roles as expected so as to achieve the set goals.
In his remarks, a Director in the state Ministry of Environment, Mr Ajide Sunday, said that the state government was putting necessary arrangements in place to eradicate open defecation by the Year 2025.
He noted that open defecation is worldwide phenomenon which causes diseases like diarrhoea among others.
He added that the problem of open defecation is very common in the rural communities and stressed the need for proper education on the consequences of the illicit practice.
He advised politicians to embark on construction of public toilets especially in the rural communities to control the spread of diseases.
“We should adopt community-led approach where by the people of the community would take building of toilets upon themselves rather than leaving the task to government”.
In his welcome address, the Acting General Manager of RUWASSA, Buhari Muazu Damjuma who appreciated the government for giving financial and moral support for the success of the programme, said that good hand washing practice has shown to reduce the incidence of diseases like pneumonia, trachoma, scabies, skill and eye infection.
He said that the training was organized to equip WASH officers with core principles and emerging programmatic issues bases on field experience.
