Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has mandated the state Ministry of Justice to prosecute perpetrators of open defecation in the state.
The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade disclosed this during a media dialogue in Ibadan, organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with the theme “Eliminating Open Defecation in South West”.
He said the directive is against the backdrop of the rampant open defecation practice in the state and that his ministry is intensifying efforts on public enlightenment to sensitise residents to desist from open defecation practice.
According to National Bureau of Statistics, 54 per cent of people in Oyo State with population of eight million people engage in open defecation practice.
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Meanwhile, as Nigeria overtakes India to become number one in the world in terms of open defecation practice, UNICEF called on the government at all levels in the country to take practical and pragmatic steps to end open defecation.
UNICEF Water Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, Monday Johnson called on governors of other South West states to put measures in place to end open defecation in their respective states.
