124 Open defecation offenders sentenced to community service in Ogun

 

As parts of its zero tolerance for open defecation, the Ogun State government has arrested one hundred and twenty four (124)  offenders for contravening the state's environmental and health laws, Great Achiever Magazine reports.

The offenders who were arrested in various locations across the state with eighty-two (82) of them from Mowe-Ibafo axis in Obafemi-Owode local government area were subsequently sentenced to various community services.

Speaking on the arrest, Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority, OGWAMA, Mr Ola Oresanya, said the offenders were apprehended as parts of efforts at stopping the indecent habit, make the state open-defecation free and maintain the environmental safety of the people.

Oresanya added that the bad habit which are mostly done late in the night and at dawn  have negative implications on the immediate communities where they are practised and the state at large especially during this period that the world is ravaged by pandemic, saying that the state government will not fold its hands and watch few dirty individuals put the health of the majority at risk through their shameful act.

While reiterating that arrest of offenders will continue as the state has zero tolerance for open defecation, Oresanya warned drivers of articulated vehicles and their cohorts who transit the state especially the Mowe-Ibafo axis to stop defecating on medians and roadsides while on stopovers,  urging them to visit public toilets provided by the state government for their conveniences instead of engaging in such ignominious practice.

Oresanya also used the opportunity to announce that all Petrol stations and Eatries in the state have been mandated to make their conveniences available for the public as part of their corporate social responsibility while the state government has also identified over one hundred other locations for construction of more public toilets through public-private partnership as part of government's efforts at making the state open defecation free.

He therefore called for cooperation of all households, Community Development Associations and visitors to the state to make this a reality.