Open defecation: Ogun to begin enforcement, prosecution of offenders

The Ogun State government will soon start enforcing its directive against open defecation after its current sensitisation campaign.

This is to bring the offenders to justice and prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases, such as cholera and diarrhoea, especially in the border towns of Mowe, Magboro, Warewa, Kara, and Isheri.

A joint sensitisation campaign is ongoing in border towns between Lagos and Ogun states before massive enforcement begins to curb the menace.

The governor’s Special Adviser on the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Dr Oluwadare Kehinde, made the announcement during a joint press briefing with its Lagos State counterpart, Dr Tunde Ajayi, at Berger in Lagos.

Kehinde said the enforcement team will start operating at the end of the campaign. It will work shifts to apprehend and prosecute offenders violating relevant environmental laws.

“This will serve as a deterrent to others as anyone caught will face the wrath of the law. A situation where people defecate openly in open places, especially on the medians of roads in these border towns, is not acceptable to the Ogun State government, hence the need for a lasting solution if this latest sensitisation fails to yield the results.”

“This step becomes necessary as the Ogun government has newly constructed several public toilets across the state, including the border towns, as a credible alternative.”