Ondo government bans open defecation, decries 1.4m ‘defecators’

Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has outlawed open defecation across the 18 local councils of the state, saying it is a drastic step aimed at making the state completely free from infectious diseases and other health related challenges.

Akeredolu stated this yesterday when inaugurating the State Steering Committee on Open Defecation Free (ODF) at the Babafunke Ajasin Auditorium, Igbatoro Road, Akure.

The governor, who decried the situation whereby Nigeria was ranked second in open defecation in the world, lamented that out of the 47 million Nigerians who practised open defecation, nine million come from the South-West and of this number, about 1.4 million live in Ondo State.

He describing the situation as unacceptable to his government and consequently banned the practice.