2.5 million defecating openly in Ebonyi daily – UNICEF

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that over 2.5 million persons are defecating in the open every day in Ebonyi State.

UNICEF Nigeria Chief of Field Service, Ms Judith Leveillee, disclosed this in Abakaliki, the state capital, over the weekend during a courtesy visit of the organisation to Governor Francis Nwifuru in his office.

She noted that 125 million US dollars would be needed to construct 2.5 million latrines to eradicate open defecation in the state.

Leveillee said UNICEF was concerned about cholera and other communicable diseases associated with open defecation and called for environmental hygiene across the state to avoid the diseases.

She said: “Every day in Ebonyi, more than 2.5 million people are defecating in the open. This is something that can be changed; it doesn’t need to be like that. Lots of lessons should be drawn from other states.

“I would like to call on the state government to call on the small businesses, entrepreneur to do something about this because if one latrine can cost like N75,000, we could be talking here of multi-million business.

“I’m talking about 125 million dollars that will be needed just to construct N2.5 million latrines to make sure that we can eradicate open defection in Ebonyi and we are always concerned with cholera, especially in three LGAs; Izzi, Ohaukwu and Ebonyi.

“So, we need to start LGA by LGA, ward by ward and state by state because there is a lot that a child, a mother and father need to spend on diarrheal or even expenses for health system when it comes to curing acute watery diseases or cholera”.

Francis Nwifuru, while receiving the organisation, said his administration would take measures against the ugly trend. He said he had approved UNICEF’s call for immediate end to all forms of open defecation, malnutrition and inadequate immunisation.

“We know the negative implications of open defecation and erratic immunisation, and concrete actions towards ending them must be taken

“We will do everything within our reach to construct toilets in the markets, schools and other public places,” Nwifuru said.