Cross River Assembly Passes Open Defecation Prohibition Bill

By Sylvia Akpan

As part of ways to strengthen sanitation standards and safeguarding public health, the Cross River State House of Assembly has passed the Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

The bill is a legislative measure aimed at improving sanitation and public health. It seeks to outlaw open defecation in public places and promote the use of proper toilet facilities across the State.

The House passed the bill after deliberating on the report of the House Committee on Water Resources and Sanitation, presented by its Chairman, Hon. Kingsley Ntui, representing Etung State Constituency.

In his report, Ntui noted that approximately 47 million people practice Open defecation in the country, a practice which has severe health implications ranging from the spread of water-borne diseases like Cholera, diarrhoea, and typhoid.

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The Etung Lawmaker commended the State government’s efforts to end Open Defecation and urged his colleagues to complement these efforts in their various Constituencies.

“The State government, with support from organizations like UNICEF and SELF HELP AFRICA, has made efforts to address this issue, 8 LGAs have been declared open defecation free.

“The key challenges towards this ODF status remain a lack of sanitation infrastructure, limited access to clean water, poverty, and awareness.
“To overcome these challenges, we must support this initiative by investing in this direction.

Lawmakers, in their separate contributions, noted that the bill aligns with national and international initiatives to eradicate open defecation. They emphasized that the law would contribute greatly to improving environmental cleanliness and the overall well-being of citizens.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem while commending the Committee for a thorough job, expressed happiness with the passage of the bill which, he said, will create a cleaner and healthier environment.

According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Matthew Okach, Speaker Ayambem stressed the Assembly’s commitment to strengthening sanitation standards and the well-being of the citizens through people-oriented legislation.

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