Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has called for a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to achieving an open defecation free (ODF) environment. 

He made the call on Tuesday in Enugu, when he declared open a two-day consultative workshop on “the Enugu State ODF Roadmap”.

Mr Mbah, represented by the secretary to the state government, Chidiebere Onyia, said that the roadmap was a call for action.

“This engagement must be multi-sectoral. It is a public health emergency and a developmental project for us. It is also a matter of dignity.

“It also complements the human development index of this administration,” the governor said.

He urged the participants, who included stakeholders from different sectors, to develop a roadmap that the state government could achieve.

“We want a roadmap that can help us move from where we are to where we ought to be. This plan must be owned by all stakeholders.

“We must recognise that achieving Enugu State ODF requires a collective responsibility,” Mr Mbah said.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Ben Ndu, said the state government had demonstrated a strong commitment to achieving ODF through the enactment of relevant laws.

He expressed appreciation to UNICEF and ActionAid for their support for the state’s efforts towards achieving ODF.

According to him, the Igbo Etiti Local Government Council has been declared ODF, and more councils will follow suit in the near future.

In an interview with reporters on the problem of open defecation in the state, Emily Rand, UNICEF WASH Chief in Nigeria, described the situation as worrisome.

Ms Rand said that UNICEF’s partnership with the state was to help achieve ODF and save the vulnerable children of the state from the menace associated with open defecation.

She disclosed that 74 per cent of children in the state drink contaminated water and that the state has the worst case of open defecation in the South-East.

She said there was a need for more efforts by all the stakeholders in the state to check the menace.

“We want to join all the stakeholders in ensuring that the children in the state have a healthy living,” he said.

Timeyin Jamomere of Mangrove and Partners, the project consultants, emphasised the need for additional budgetary provisions to achieve ODF in the state.

Speaking on “the state of sanitation in Enugu State: An overview of ODF roadmap”, Mr Jamomere called for more group sensitisation in achieving ODF in the state.

“Traditional institutions, youth leaders, religious leaders and other critical stakeholders should join hands in sensitising the communities to stop open defecation,” he said. 

(NAN)