By Stanley Onyekwere
As part of its effort towards ending the menace of open defecation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, officials of the FCT Rural, Water Supply and Sanitation Directorate, commonly known as FCT-RUWASSA, yesterday took sensitisation campaign on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) to residents in Nyanya, one of the densely populated settlements, in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
It was observed that the FCT RUWASSA officials, accompanied by a combined team of Environmental Health officers and security personnel engaged and sensitised some residents mainly youth and women, who gathered inside the Sa’Nyanyayi Palace, in Nyanya village, Abuja.
Accordingly, the residents were drilled on proper sanitisation, use of toilets and, need to support ongoing efforts to put an end to open defecation.
Also, they were sensitized on dangers of open defecation and faecal oral route of disease transmission.
In her remarks, the Acting Director, FCT RUWASSA, Abigail Patricia Ekpenisi, said the sensitisation aims at making people aware of and use of toilets provided in public places, and for individual households to construct and use their toilets.
She noted that open defecation has contributed to prevalence diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhea.
According to her, of recent, Nigeria has recorded 98 Open Defecation Free (0DF) Local Government Areas in the country, without FCT Area Councils in the ODF list.
She said: “In order to accelerate the attainment of ODF in FCT, we have chosen to engage the people at Nyanya and to sensitize them on action to take to end open defecation and identification of locations for construction of public toilets, if there is no toilet.
“It is worthy of note to state that, FCT RUWASSA alone cannot achieve this without the collaborative efforts of all the relevant stakeholders.
“I wish to appeal to traditional rulers, religious leaders, representatives from women and youth groups, community based organizations, professional bodies in the sanitation sector, unions and associations should be deeply committed to the fight to end open defecation.
“Traditional rulers should work together with RUWASSA to identify gaps and set up monitoring framework for the execution and implementation of sanitation bye laws.
“Help keep Abuja clean by encouraging residents to use the toilet and end open defecation as well as wash their hands to remain safe as health is wealth. Abuja must be ODF.”
Also, addressing the gathering, Mohammed Musa, Deputy Director, Environmental, who represented HOD, Environmental Department , AMAC, described the initiative as a welcome development and intervention, given the deplorable ODF status of the area.
He noted that Nyanya is lacking adequate toilets in houses, markets and Motor parks, worsened by the people’s poor attitude towards sanitation.
He stressed the need for more collaborative effort to help mitigate the menace in Nyanya and other parts of the FCT.
He also urged the residents to help identify and report defaulting residents, households and business premises to relevant government agencies for action.
On his part, the Sa’Nyanyayi, Danladi Iya, thanked the officials for bringing the sensitisation to the community, as it will help reduce the menace of the open defecation and other environmental challenges in the area.
He particularly urged the women and youth of the community to seriously take the talks offered on sanitation and hygiene issues, by making it a daily routine to clean their immediate environment.
Highpoint of the event was a joint visit and inspection of public toilet facilities at market and motor parks in the area, during the RUWASSA team also offered sensitisation on the menace of open defecation in the society.
