•Flags Off World Toilet Day Celebration; Nov 29th D-Day
By Onyekachi Eze
Worried over the decline in healthy practices by residents, the Member representing Aboh Mbaise State Constituency, Hon. Princewill Ugochukwu Amuchie has moved a motion calling on the State Government to urgently direct the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure and monitor the provision of inclusive, gender friendly, climate resilient and functional toilet facilities in both private and public establishments in Imo State.
Amuchie made the appeal while presenting the motion on Tuesday, November 20, 2024 plenary session.
The Aboh Mbaise Lawmaker who doubles as the Minority Leader of the House said, the motion was aimed at having a cleaner and safer Imo State and to ensure that open defecation is brought to zero point.
He stressed that People are taking laws into their hands and doing things that are not appropriate by not only defacing the State environment but also polluting it which causes lots of health hazards.
However, he also frowned at the sorry state of toilets in use with little or no thorough cleaning.
Amuchie in the motion also stated that there should be state of emergency on zero open defecation for the serenity of the Imo environment.
Adding as the House Committee on Water Resources, he maintained that the motion is to reawaken the people’s consciousness on proper hygiene and sanitation.
He regretted that an inspection tour of his committee to some schools exposed many lapses among which is unavailability of a single toilet.
While Amuchie disclosed that government as a necessity should come into the matter, he advocated that Individuals and private sectors can donate same in their localities.
Regrettably, the Aboh Mbaise Lawmaker said, most unhealthy behaviors are dominant in the urban regions rather than the rural areas.
“As the House Committee on Water Resources, there is utmost need to save our environment, that is why the upcoming seminar in Owerri on November 29th is targeted at arresting this. We are bringing in town unions, local governments and corporate bodies to the program”.
Other prayers of the motion reads, “Whereas the Imo State Government having interest in the overall wellbeing and environmental safety of its residents which includes but not limited to public facilities through its initiation of the process to give a shot in the arm to moribund Public Toilet Facilities and sanitize the faeco-infection ridden private and public toilet facilities which would help in curbing the spread of faeco-infection and also create employment opportunities for Imo citizens;
“Observing that the environmental health and sanitation of Imo State constitutes the strength and wealth of Imolites and that environmental hazard such as open defecation would snowball where spontaneous and proactive measures and actions are not initiated and carried out to encourage strict observance of sanitation for improved and conducive health friendly environment;
“Observing further that private and public toilet facilities have grown fallow, dilapidated, abandoned and open defecation having gained notorious prominence;
“Noticing that the Imo State Governor having shown a glowing desire to fight open defecation which contaminate our water-ways and contribute to environmental health hazards and also improve and maintain standard environmental measures for health and safety inclusive of ease of commerce”.
The Members made their contributions to the motion without any contrary opinion, which got the Speaker’s gavel.
Meanwhile, in a renewed strength for an end to open defecation across the twenty seven Local Government Areas of Imo State, with the desire to ensuring healthy living of residents, the office of the Minority Leader and House Committee on Water Resources of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Princewill Amuchie in partnership with OPS-WASH has flagged off the 2024 World Toilet Day in Owerri.
This was a take off to the long packed event holding at Mega one events place, Owerri, on November 29, 2024.
The year’s theme is tagged “Toilet, a place of peace”.
According to the invitation notice made available to Trumpeta Newspaper, the occasion would feature the following;
-Roadshow Awareness Campaign
-State SUMMIT on accelerating actions for attainment of SDGs 6
-Strategic Advocacy for Behaviour Change
-Foundation laying for the construction of an innovative GENDER-FRIENDLY toilet.
In view of the above program, the House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Water resources and member representing Aboh Mbaise State Constituency, Hon. Princewill Amuchie had on Tuesday flagged off the event with a commentary below;
NEWS TALK ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMEMORATION OF WORLD TOILET DAY 2024; “TOILET A PLACE OF PEACE”.
WRITTEN BY:
HON PRINCEWILL AMUCHIE, MINORITY LEADER AND HOUSE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ON WATER RESOURCES, IMO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
19th November of every year marks the commemoration of World Toilet Day, a day that is set aside by the United Nations to accelerate the advocacy at all levels, reinforcing efforts through collaboration and synergy for an Open Defecation Free Nigeria. A cascaded action from the global world to community level, and to address our sanitation challenges.
We are aware that Open Defecation is a critical public and environmental issue that compromises our water sources, spread of diseases which negatively impacts the quality of life, education and economic productivity of the populace. Efforts are on to provide adequate sanitation facilities to address Open Defecation which poses particular risk, especially, on women, girls, people living with disabilities and the vulnerable communities.
The United Nations estimate that 4.2 Billion people globally lack access to safe sanitation. According to World Health Organization, WHO, the latest WASH-related burden of disease estimates, 1.4 million people die each year because of inadequate drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.
• 3.5 Billion people lack access to safely manage sanitation services.
• 2.2 Billion people worldwide do not have safely managed drinking water services.
• 4.2 Billion people lack safely managed sanitation services.
• 673 Million people have no toilet at all.
• 69% of Diarrhea deaths in 2019 were attributed to unsafe WASH-services.
According to the 2021 WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping Report (WASHNORM), about 48 Million Nigerians still defecate in the open, while only 10% of the population have access to water, sanitation and hygiene services. In 2022, 57% of the global population (4.6 Billion people) used a safely managed sanitation service.
Benefits of improved sanitation and usage of toilet extend well beyond reducing the risk of diarrhea. These include :
• Reducing the spread of intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma, which are neglected tropical diseases that cause suffering for millions.
• Reducing the severity and impact of malnutrition.
• Promoting dignity and boosting safety, particularly among women and girls.
• Promoting school attendance : girls’ school attendance is particularly boosted by the provision of separate sanitary facilities.
• Reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
• Potential safe recovery of water nutrients and renewable energy from wastewater and sludge ;
• Potential to increase overall community resilience to climate shocks ; for example through safe use of wastewater for irrigation to mitigate water scarcity.
A WHO study in 2021 calculated that for every US$ 1.00 invested in sanitation, there was a return of US$ 5.50 lower health costs, more productivity, and fewer premature deaths.
The State Government through the Ministry Of Water Resources, RUWASSA, ISSTOWA and ISWSC has joined other states and Federal Ministry Of Water Resources & Sanitation to participate in several initiatives to bridge the existing gap of inadequate basic sanitation services to actualize the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, for Water and Sanitation in the State and Nigeria at large.
Some of these initiatives include, but not limited to declaration of the State of Emergency in WASH sector ; development of a State WASH Policies, Institutions and Regulation (PIR) Action Plan to revitalize/reform the sector ; the Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programme; Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply; Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme; and the “Clean Nigeria : Use the Toilet” Campaign supported by the Presidential Executive Order 009 on Open Defecation Free Nigeria by 2025.
In Imo State, Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA has been declared Open Defecation Free and more LGAs are currently undergoing a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) process, in line with the National Protocol On Open Defecation Free. Despite the achievements so far made, it still appears difficult to meet the campaign target for 2025, therefore, the need to identify and re-strategize the critical elements that will progressively increase the level advocacy and awareness for Toilet Use .
This is because every step taken towards ending open defecation will improve health, boost productivity and enhance the dignity and safety of our Imo Citizens. Achieving these will require active advocacy and engagement of relevant stakeholders to mobilize high-level political support that will drive the campaign, especially, at the LGA and community levels. The stakeholders that are expected to act include; the State Governor, Chairmen of the 27 Local Government Areas, State Legislators, Members of the International Community, Development Partners, Private Sector, Civil Societies, Media and the general populace.
The 2024 World Toilet Day theme, “Sanitation For Peace” highlights toilets as a place of peace, protection and progress, essential to public and environmental health. It is an annual awareness event planned to commemorate different activities at the national and sub-national levels geared towards generating momentum around the toilet Campaign. Activities highlighted for this Year’s celebration in Imo State Include :
(I) Mass Mobilization Awareness creation and road show to sensitize the masses on the importance of toilet for human dignity and well-being.
(ii) State Summit in collaboration with Organized Private Sector WASH (OPS-WASH) that will bring in stakeholders from across the globe to the State, to brain storm, share lessons and harness plans towards the attainment of Open Defecation Free (ODF) Imo State.
(iii) Celebration of Open Defecation Free (ODF) Ezinihitte LGA, to trigger other communities and LGAs to action.
(iv) Foundation laying for the construction of an inclusive six compartment gender friendly toilet facility at Aboh Mbaise LGA.
The Imo State House of Assembly, through the Office of the Minority Leader and House Committee Chairman on Water and Sanitation has planned a State summit to bring together UNICEF, USAID, WATERAID, OPS-WASH LIXIL Company, Office of the National Ambassador On WASH, Coca-cola, Fidelity Bank, Civil Society Organizations, NGOs, Media, Line MDAs and other Private Sectors, to share lessons and chart way forward for the attainment of State ODF Status in Imo. The event will help to trigger the needed campaign commitment at the State and LGA level that would mobilize households, relevant institutions and private sector to supply sanitation facilities in homes and improve access to WASH facilities in public places.
As we move forward, let us remember that our collaborative efforts can bring about our desired change of a cleaner and safer State, where open defecation will be a thing of the past.
