The Chairperson of the Igbo-etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Eric Odo, has promised that the council area will attain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by June this year.
Mr Odo said on Wednesday that the council would inaugurate a task force to ensure that all households, schools, churches and markets in the area would soon have functional toilets and handwashing facilities.
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He gave the assurance when he hosted Rebecca Gabriel, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) WASH Specialist, Enugu Field Office, in his office at Ogbede.
The council chairperson said the June deadline was sacrosanct, adding that the council would set up a mobile court to try landlords who do not have functional toilets in their houses.
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He, however, said that his administration would provide toilets to indigent households to promote a healthy environment.
“Igbo-etiti Local Government Area under me is very committed to attaining the ODF status by June.
“We cannot attain ODF status without getting reliable data about houses with functional toilets and those without,” he said.
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Mr Odo said the data would guide his administration’s actions in achieving the set goal.
“I will meet with religious leaders on the need for them to mandate priests under them to build functional toilets and hand washing facilities in their various churches.
“I have mandated various market committees in the local government area to build decent toilet facilities for traders.
“We will not tolerate people defecating or urinating in an open space within our markets,” Mr Odo said.
On water, he said that he was working closely with the state Ministry of Water Resources and the Enugu State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency to resuscitate non-functional boreholes in the area.
According to him, his administration is doing everything possible to ensure that boreholes in Ukehe, Umuna, Ozalla, Ohebe-Dim, and other communities receive the needed attention.
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He appealed to UNICEF to assist the council in providing water to complement the council’s efforts at promoting hygiene.
Mr Odo said that his administration was committed to promoting WASH activities.
Responding, the WASH specialist commended the chairperson for efforts at ensuring that the council area would attain ODF status.
She described it as a laudable goal and said that UNICEF would support the council area by strengthening its WASH system.
She urged the WASH team in the Igbo-etiti council area to remain focused and ensure the achievement of the June deadline.
(NAN)
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