The Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN) Oyo state chapter has called on the Government at all levels, to intensify campaigns on both the conventional and the social Media on the need for people to desist from open defecation saying it is an habit that contaminates the environment and spreads diseases.
Alhaja Bushurah Oloso, the state chairman made this known on Tuesday while addressing newsmen ahead of 2021 FOMWAN WEEK with the theme ” My Community, My Pride: Promoting General Well-being & Stopping Open Defecation”.
She said: “The answer is not far fetched. A healthy people is a healthy community and a happy nation. We are concerned about the inglorious report that places Nigeria as the first among countries with the prevalence of open defecation in the world.
“That report was presented by UNICEF, and it added that about 47million Nigerians practise open defecation. This really gives cause for concern.
“To show the seriousness of the crisis and the problem at hand, the Nigerian President in November, 2018 declared a state of of emergency in the Water , Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.”
According to the state chairman, the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN) which is a network of Women organizations in the Country with core values of protecting the interest of its members and contributing to their overall health, literacy and empowerment is taking the campaign against open defecation to adopt communities with a view to assessing the problem in the areas, and educating the residents on the effects of indiscriminate practice of open defecation.
She said: “We will be suggesting to the appropriate Community heads, market leaders, elected officials and other stakeholders the need to make provision for more facilities local and modern for people at home and at work places to use to dispose of their faeces.”
“It is worthy of note that Islam emphasizes personal and environmental cleanliness as every time and place is for worship, a clean environment promotes good religious habits.”
Oloso concluded that FOMWAN is also advocating stringent punitive measures to discourage the practice adding that some states have already made laws to prohibit open defecation.
“In line with this, we want to commend the Oyo State House of Assembly for making open defecation a punishable offence. The House in December, 2020 passed the Oyo State Open Defecation Bill, 2020 which when assented to by Governor Seyi Makinde prescribes a fine of #5000 for anyone who defecated in the open in any part of the State.
“Also, anyone who owns a property and does not provide toilet facility within three months from the commencement of the bill , commits an offence and he/she is liable on conviction for three months imprisonment or a fine of #50,000 or both.”
