The Obuasi Municipal Assembly has set up a Taskforce to deal with people who indulge in open defecation and Landlords with no toilets in their homes.
This was revealed by the Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Honorable Elijah Adansi-Bonah while speaking at a durbar in Obuasi to commemorate this year’s WORLD TOILET DAY.
World Toilet Day is an annual global event organized by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness on the 4.2 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation.
The day also seeks to address the global sanitation crisis and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Water and Sanitation for all by 2030.
The MCE said the Assembly was aware of the devastating effects of open defecation on the health of man. He said while it contaminates drinking water sources and food crops, it also serves as a source of oral-fecal infections like Cholera. He said the Taskforce is expected to deal with people who engage in open defecation.
He also disclosed that currently, close to 14, 000 households in Obuasi Municipal are without toilets. This he said was worrying hence called on Landlords to make sure they construct toilets in their households to prevent the incidence of open defecation.
Elijah Adansi-Bonah again praised Obuasi Rotary club for promoting and constructing household toilets in some rural communities in the Municipality. He appealed to Nananom Assembly members, Zonal council members to come together to fight against open defecation.
He said the Assembly is working assiduously through the Municipal Environmental Health office to eliminate open defecation, improve access to basic sanitation services and promote hygienic attitudes among residents.
He also used the occasion to caution City dwellers against the COVID-19 pandemic and urged them to wash their hands frequently and wear masks always. “Staying hygienic saves lives, Soap, and water save lives’’
The Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Fuseina Imoro issued a stern warning to all landlords to fix toilets in their homes before February 2022. She said ” from next year we will launch an operation to deal with Landlords who have no toilets in their homes. We are leaving no stone unturned to achieve an Open Defecation Free in the Municipality in the next 3 to 4 years”.
Speaking about the theme for this year’s celebration, ‘STOP OPEN DEFECATION; OWN A HOUSEHOLD LATRINE NOW. LET’S PLAY OUR PART IN A COVID ERA’, Madam Fuseina said the Coronavirus pandemic has taught mankind a ‘difficult ‘ lesson to observe a clean environment. She said, “COVID-19 is still with us so let us all adhere to the protocols and stay safe”.
Nananom, Assembly members, representatives of Civil Society groups, and Heads of Department were present.
