Yobe State declares war against open defecation

The Yobe State government has declared war on open defecation, communicable diseases and environmental degradation through advocacy and community sensitization in the state.

Governor Mai Mala Buni, who was represented at the community sensitization programme on Monday by his Deputy Idi Barde Gubana, in Potiskum town, harped on the dangers and consequences of open defecation in the state.

He said that open defecation could lead to diseases such as typhoid, cholera, malaria among others stating further that it also has a negative effect on the environment by polluting the air with bad odor and making the land inhabitable.

“The significance of personal and community hygiene to safeguard human health is irrefutable; hence according to UNICEF 892,000,000 people are practicing open defecation world over.

“India is ranked first with high rate of open defecation in the world and Nigeria is second. While in Africa, Nigeria is ranked first.

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“This among other reasons promoted President Muhammadu Buhari to signed Executive Order 009 on 21st November, 2019 and set a target for eradicating open defecation in Nigeria on or before 2025”, he noted.

Governor Buni said that the state government deemed it fit to take the advocacy campaign against the menace to the 17 local government areas to sensitize people on the dangers of open defecation.

He said that the move is to protect the environment, culture, norms and values as people, adding that to be an open defecation free society also reduces the incidence of disease and other anti-social behaviour in the state.

“When open defecation is not properly managed, the diseases causing organism in human excreta find their way back to our food and water through run off, while in some instances houseflies can perch on these open excreta and settle on edibles, thereby infecting those that ingest the food or drinks”, Buni stressed.

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