Bauchi communities set up ‘task force’ against open defecation
Some communities in Bauchi State are setting up groups of volunteers to police the environment against open defecation.
The ‘task force’, known as WASHCom, is a combination of volunteers, who work with the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) unit of local councils to sensitise rural dwellers on the dangers of open defecation.
The group ensures that the environment is free from cholera and other diseases.
Open defecation is a serious concern to experts in the WASH sector. In Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said more than 48 million people still practise open defecation.
Also, the UN agency said 105 of the country’s 774 local councils were open defecation-free (ODF), and that only eight were in Bauchi State.
A government official in Bauchi, who coordinates the WASH programme in Katagum local council, Saidu Alkali said that recently, the LGA was certified open defecation-free after about four years of efforts to attain the status. According to him, all the communities in the LGA were inspected and cert and national officials certified that Katagum is open defecation-free. “These groups consist of relevant ministries, departments and agencies of both state and federal government –including media and civil society organisations (CSOs),” he added.
According to Alkali, thousands of toilets were constructed by the state government, while the communities also contribute money to provide improved toilets and water facilities. He added that the toilets were provided with consideration of the people with special needs.
He said: “For us to have a clean environment, we have instructed those who use toilets for business to abide by our guidelines on provisions for male and female, people with special needs and hygiene instructions,” he said.