The Cross River State House of Assembly has passed a bill prohibiting open defecation.
The bill aims to outlaw open defecation in public places and encourage the use of proper toilet facilities statewide, with a view to improving sanitation and protecting public health.
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The lawmakers approved the bill after considering a report by the House Committee on Water Resources and Sanitation presented by its Chairman, Kingsley Ntui, representing Etung State Constituency, on Thursday.
Mr Ntui said that about 47 million Nigerians still practice open defecation, adding that the practice contributes to water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid.
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He commended the state government’s efforts in ending open defecation and urged lawmakers to support sanitation initiatives in their constituencies.
According to him, with support from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund and Self Help Africa, eight local government areas in the state have been declared open defecation-free.
“However, some key challenges to achieving full open defecation-free status include poor sanitation infrastructure, limited access to clean water, poverty and low public awareness.”
Contributing to the debate, the lawmakers said the bill aligned with national and global initiatives aimed at eliminating open defecation.
They said that the law would improve environmental cleanliness and promote the overall well-being of residents of the state.
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The Speaker of the House, Elvert Ayambem, commended the committee for its work and expressed satisfaction with the bill’s passage.
Mr Ayambem said the law would help create a cleaner environment and reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to people-oriented legislation that would improve residents’ welfare.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the bill is in line with the federal government’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programmes aimed at safe water, sanitation and hygiene services by 2030.
It is also aim at making communities Open Defecation Free.
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