A human rights advocate, Doboro Marvelous, of the Organisation for Human and Peoples Rights Protection and Humanitarian Services, has urged local government authorities in Delta State to prioritise the provision of public toilet facilities to end open defecation and improve public health.

Speaking to journalists in Asaba, Marvelous criticised the widespread failure of councils to meet what he described as a “constitutional obligation” to provide essential public services.

He condemned the alleged misappropriation of public funds on fraudulent and unverified projects, calling for such resources to be redirected towards building and maintaining public conveniences, particularly in rural communities.

“It is time for local government authorities to take the bull by the horns,” he said. “No council chairman has considered this vital constitutional duty. Instead, we see laxity, impunity, and grand larceny that have bastardised the local government system.”

Marvelous warned that he would soon begin naming and petitioning council chairmen before anti-graft agencies over unaccounted public funds allegedly diverted to dubious projects.

He stressed that poor sanitation practices, especially open defecation, continue to spread preventable diseases, posing serious threats to public health in both urban and rural areas.

Citing global backing for improved sanitation, he referred to a recent European Union (EU) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) initiative that trained 35 facilitators under the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) programme in Delta State.

The pilot scheme, launched in Isoko South and Ndokwa Local Councils, is expected to eventually reach all 25 local councils in the state. Marvelous urged local authorities to emulate international development partners by urgently providing and maintaining public toilets, describing them as a basic necessity for healthy living and human dignity.

“It is shameful that in 2025, we are still battling with open defecation due to negligence and corruption. The time for action is now,” he added.