A group of missionaries recently stayed two days at a village in the heart of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital
The major purpose of their visitation was evangelism. Whether they succeeded in winning souls or not is not the issue here.
The issue is what they found out in that village, which is open defecation.
One of the evangelists, Simeon Akagbosu said that throughout their two day stay in the village, everyboby did shot put’ without batting an eyelid after answering the call of nature.
According to evangelist Akagbosu, the most worrisome is that neighbours called out one another in the early morning to do open defecation in nearby bushes and uncompleted structure.
This is a tale of woe and a reawakening to the campaign against open defecation in Nigeria.
The Nigeria elites are always ready and eager to condemn and castigate open defecation by the people whether they are ignorant or illiterate.
That is good, because what is bad is bad, but the question is, what role should the government play to eradicate this century old shameful habit?
India has indices comparable to that of Nigeria but it has taken steps by creating toilet access for its over one billion people.
India opened a bank account for every adult who does not already have toilets to do so.
Is there any other better way to take dividends of democracy to the door steps of the poor other than this, especially in the fight against open defecation and its attendant health hazards to the larger public?
Governments at all levels have done well by providing public conveniences for the people but in most cases these facilities are restricted to the state capitals.
Nigeria may not have the capacity to meet the standards in Europe, America, Saudi Arabia or Dubai but all hands must be on deck to provide toilet facilities for the people across board.
To prevent epidemic diseases is better than cure.
The provision of basic amenities like public toilets free of charge to the people to catapult Nigeria to greatness should not be overshadowed by private takeover of the common patrimony through collusion by the people in their hearts.
The campaign against open defecation must be resuscitated in homes, schools, churches, mosques and shrines all over the country as the government cannot do it alone.
It is a thing of shame that people still do open defecation with glee in Nigeria in the 21stcentury
This is a sad angle to a rather potentially great African giant.
Tayo Sanni
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