Open Defecation Risk Imprisonment, Shendam LG Official Warns Residents

Posted by Tolulope Ogugua Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, February 9th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The General Manger of Plateau Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Mr Peter Kassam, says open defecation is punishable under the law in Shedam Local Government and residents found culpable of such acts risk imprisonment.

He made this known in an interview on Wednesday in Jos, observing that Shendam is the first local government in the state to sign the by-law prohibiting open defecation.

“The law states that defaulters would be fined the sum of N10,000 or face imprisonment or both penalties,” he warned.

He said that the by-law passed by the local government was now in use in the bid to prevent the menace of open defecation.

“For better achievement, the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) department gave the local government area a window period before the strict enforcement of the law as soon as the window period elapses,” he said.

He said that in a bid to curb open defecation in the rural areas, the agency came up with a draft, which was disseminated to all the 17 local government areas in Plateau in 2021.

He said that the agency had been sensitising critical stakeholders comprising traditional rulers in the various rural areas on the need to end open defecation.

He further noted that the various stakeholders had pledged their support to ending open defecation, following advocacy on the dangers of open defecation.

African Examiner reports that Plateau ranks second in terms of open defecation in the country as at May 2021