Chima Azubuike
The Gombe State Government has inaugurated a state task group on sanitation to curb open defecation in the state.
Inaugurating the 29-member task group, the state Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, decried the high level of open defecation practice in the country, adding that statistics had shown over 46 million Nigerians still engaged in the avoidable act.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, Yahaya said it was in view of global concern about the negative practice that the former President Muhamadu Buhari signed Executive order 009 to end open defecation practice in the country by 2025.
He said, “it’s a quest to bring an end to open defecation and ensure safe water and environment.”
The Governor added that as part of his commitment to ending the practice in the state, his administration declared a state of emergency in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector through the Gombe State Executive order 006.
He noted that through Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, the state government proposed the upgrade of Local Governments Water Sanitation Units to full fledged departments in addition to training of members of Local Task Group in each LGA to support the State Task Group on Sanitation for the smooth and effective implementation of the programme across the state.
Yahaya noted open defecation practice has become common in many communities within the state due to inadequate sanitation facilities, stressing the urgency for all hands to be on deck to checkmate the development.
He appealed to the task group members, stakeholders and the entire people of the state to key into the programme with a view to ending the practice which he said had negative consequences on the lives of the populace especially women and children as well as to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 of the United Nations.
In their goodwill messages on behalf of the nine line ministries, Mohammed Saidu Fawu Commissioner of Water, Environment and Forest Resources and his counterpart from Health Dr Habu Dahiru, lauded the initiative, describing it as a better way of eradicating infectious diseases such as cholera and other environmental challenges and assured of their ministries readiness to key into the programme.
Also speaking on behalf of the traditional institution, Umar Atiku, said “the traditional Institution welcomes the initiative as it will go a long way in reducing the outbreak of infectious diseases especially in rural communities.”
Atiku further called for legislation against open defecation in the state.
Speaking earlier, General Manager of RUWASSA, Engineer Muhammad Sa’eed, lauded the governor for effectively domesticating the programme in the state, assuring that all stakeholders and relevant agencies would work tirelessly to ensure its successful implementation in the state.
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