The Oyo State House of Assembly, Ministries of Environment and Justice, the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Community Development Council (CDC), Oyo State Waste Management Authority, market leaders and artisans as well as other relevant stakeholders on Wednesday, engaged in a public hearing to deliberate and accommodate inputs before the passage of the bill that will prohibit open defecation in the state.
The public hearing which was held on the bill titled, “Open Defecation Prohibition Bill, 2020” was organized by the House Adhoc Committee on Environment and Ecology held at the House of Chiefs of the Oyo State House of Assembly Complex, secretariat, Ibadan.
The bill was sponsored by the Speaker, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Muhammed Fadeyi and Hon. Olusola Owolabi, who is also the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee.
In his address, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Fadeyi, disclosed that the importance of the public hearing will go a long way in ensuring good living in the society. He expressed his dissatisfaction that the Oyo State is rated number one among states practicing open defecation not only in Nigeria but in Africa.
The Deputy Speaker pointed out that the objective of the bill is to correct the impression, and charged all stakeholders to key into objective by joining hands with governments to reduce the practice to the barest minimum if not total eradication.
While calling on the environmental officers to wake up to their responsibility in terms of enforcement of the law when eventually passed, Hon. Fadeyi reiterated that the House will not hesitate to propose setting up a special task force if there is need to ensure total compliance.
The lawmaker called on the Community Development Council leaders to ensure that the message reaches the nooks and crannies of the state to enable the general public to be aware of the existence of the law.
While presenting his welcome address, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Olusola Owolabi, explained that the practices of open defecation contaminate sources of drinking water and spread diseases like cholera, diarrhea and dysentery.
The lawmaker emphasized that the idea is to key into the 2019 President Executive Order on open defecation titled “The Open Defecation Free Nigeria by 2025 and Other Related Matters”.
He added that the Executive Order is to ensure that all public places including hotels, fuel stations, worship centers, markets, hospitals, schools and offices have accessible toilets within their premises.
Hon. Owolabi disclosed that the bill when it becomes law is to eradicate the practice of open defecation in Oyo State in order to improve the sanitation and ensure a safe and hygienic environment.
The Chairman, Ibadan Waste Management Authority, Mr. Moronfolu Ajilore, called for recruitment of more environmental officers to ensure total compliance and monitoring of provided toilet facilities. He commended the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for approving the recruitment of about 150 sanitary officers that is making the work of the authority effective and efficient.
Mr. Stephen Adedigba, who represented the Ministry of Environment, said that the state government has provided mobile toilets towards attainment of the objective of the bill when it eventually becomes law.
While urging the state government to make it compulsory for people holding social engagements to make use of the mobile toilets, he also charged the government to address situations at markets where toilet facilities are being converted into shops by market leaders.
The representatives of Community Development Council, market leaders and artisan commended the Oyo State House of Assembly for the effort towards ensuring a safer and hygienic environment.
While appealing to the lawmakers to make the fine for the offenders reasonable and affordable, they appealed to the government to provide toilet facilities before the enforcement commences.
Also submitted memorandum include SUBEB, TESCOM and nongovernmental associations within the state.
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