Sola POPOOLA
Determined to end the menace of Open Defecation Ogun State government has spoken of plan to construct over 300 toilets across the State.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Environnent Ola Oresanya,who disclosed this said the first phase of the project is nearing completion with about 50 units of the toilets .
The government has mandated fuel stations, eateries, markets and other public facilities in the state to provide functioning public toilets henceforth .
The commissioning who spoke at the commissioning of the ultra modern biogas energy public toilets at the Governor’s office Secretariat in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta also hinted that the 300 units of the public toilets with VIP component such as solar panels will be completed in the next six month
“All the 20 local government areas of the state will have a minimum of 10 public toilets each while the urban local government areas will have a minimum of 15 to make up the
Oresanya said the mandate become necessary to promote public hygiene and sanitation in public places and discourage residents from defecating in open places when they are in transits or out of their homes when pressed.
To further drive the state government’s determination against open defecation, Oresanya also said henceforth party organizers in the state must provide movable toilets at party venues through out the state adding that Environmental Sanitation Officers from the Ministry of Environment and all the 20 Local Government Council of the state will enforce the directive for effectiveness.
Oresanya therefore called on residents of the state to make use of the toilets in their various localities to further enhance public hygiene and better standard of living saying the public toilets are to complements those in various houses and public place, so that in few months, the state will be declared open defecation free by the federal government and other world sanitation bodies.
The Ogun State Head of service, Dr Nafiu Aigoro said the Biogas Energy public toilet which was constructed by Biofil Technology in partnership with the Ministry of Environment will complement the existing toilets in the State Secretariat.
He added that it was the first of its kind in the country with the energy generated from the facility good for cooking or floodlights which is another testimony of the Dapo Abiodun administration’s determination at eradicating open defecation in the state as well as introducing to the residents the benefits of energies generated from septic tanks when properly treated and converted.