Enugu LG inaugurates committee to end open defecation with support from UNICEF

IGBO-ETITI Local Government Area of Enugu State has inaugurated an enforcement committee, selected from various wards in the area, to educate and enforce open defecation law, passed by the council in 2023.

Members of the enforcement team include traditional rulers, church leaders, president general’s of all the towns unions, the police, civil defence, among others.

Jenifer Nwaogbowo, head, Personnel, Management of the LGA in an interview with Businessday after the inauguration commended the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for supporting the Local government in all the effort it is making to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF).

Nwaogbowo, who also is the acting chairman of the Local Government, said that the meeting was organised for stakeholders to develop an action plan to achieve open defecation free.(odf) programme in the area .

Represented by Geoffrey Diyoke, director of administration, Igboetiti Local Government Area, Nwaogbowo, however regretted that poor understanding and reasoning of some leaders in some communities are hampering the UNICEF assisted programme.

She urged stakeholders to get involved to end open defecation and associated deseases.

Ikeoha Fidelis, coordinator, Igbo - Etiti Local Government Water , Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), who gave the data of the numbers of communities that had already certified ODF, said that the wash unit is doing everything possible for the area to be open defecation free.

“We have visited all 299 communities in Igboetiti, out of which 155 were certified open defecation free .

“Now we are doing ODF push, mop up, in house holds and public places, where there is no latrine”.

Uche Okpe, UNICEF WASH consultant, explained that UNICEF is supporting in establishing structures at different Local Government levels, where they have the wash unit.