Ms. Okeke also called for measures to stop open defecation.

A delegate representing retired civil servants at the National Conference, Ebele Okeke, has called for measures to stop men from urinating in the open.

Ms. Okeke, a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, made the call on Monday as her contribution to the debate on the report of the Conference Committee on Environment.

She said the act of people urinating in public is an eyesore and dangerous to the environment.

Ms. Okeke also called for measures to stop open defecation as it contributes to the spread of diseases.

She condemned the situation where landlords built houses without making provision for toilets and so encouraged open defecation.

“Nigeria is like a big toilet, where people defecate in open places.

“This is due largely to the fact that landlords build houses without toilets and even where there are toilets, these toilets are converted to stores.

“I, therefore, propose that open defecation be banned and men, particularly, should not come out of their houses to urinate,” she said.

Ms. Okeke called for the provision of potable water for all Nigerians irrespective of location.

She said Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest rate of infant mortality due to the lack of potable water which causes preventable diseases, such as cholera and diarrhoea.
(NAN)