CROSS RIVER, YALA – The Chairman of Yala LGA Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State Dr Fred Okem, has warned perpetrators of open defecation in the area to desist forthwith.
“It is not a good practice, we should avoid it,” the chairman himself saying.”We all know our problem in Yala, we don’t have water. We go to the bush to defecate.”
“It is a welcomed opportunity. “You know what we mean by task force, we are the foot soldiers, we are the educators,” Dr Okem added.
TheInvestigator report that the chairman also had called on relevant agency to support the program. It said according to him, “All of us should put our hands together to ensure this programme succeeds.”
At the inauguration of the Local Task Group on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (LTG-WASH) held in the Council headquarters, Okpoma. Okem lamented the health impact of open defecation.
The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) with support from Self Help Africa (SHA) organized the program to rekindle the Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State’s open defecation-free (ODF) status.
Truth Live News gathered that others who spoke including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Chairman State Task Group on WASH, Mr Okon Ita, STG-WASH Chairman, represented by Engr Elemi Nkanu, tasked group on diligent. Expressing optimism that the task group will be responsible for harmonizing all WASH initiatives in the LGA.
“The need to revive the sector cannot be overemphasized,” they said.
The National Coordinator of the Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), Mr Attah Benson, also spoke saying. “If you eat, you must defecate; therefore, we need to keep our toilets and environment clean.
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Also, “the government has a lot of roles to play.”we need a good system that functions,” Benson noted. “This meeting is to strengthen and change the way we do things.”
“We will dully carry our duties out. We will achieve the set goals,” Dr Augustina Okem, wife of Yala council chairman and team lead concluded.