Federal lawmaker  builds 30 public toilets to tackle open defecation in Ebonyi

A federal lawmaker, Iduma Igariwey, representing Afikpo North/South Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State, in the House of Representiatives,  has built 30 public toilets  in the 23 wards of the constituency to tackle open defecation.

Iduma Igariwey, in a statement in Abakaliki on Saturday, indicated that the toilet facilities were provided to complement efforts of the federal and state governments to end open defecation in the interest of public health.

According to the lawmaker, “The construction of the toilets is necessary as it will complement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the plan to eradicate the practice of open defecation by 2030.

“I recalled that a survey has shown that about 122 million people across states of the federation are practicing open defecation.

“The practice contaminates the environment and spreads diseases like diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, and dysentery to the human population, and all these emanate from poor sanitary practices.

“Open defecation is among the common unhealthy practices which have posed serious challenges to our environment.

“It directly affects the health and wellbeing of all the people living within a community.”

Igariwey said it was in realisation of this, that he embarked on replacing most public latrines with modern-day toilet facilities in the constituency, adding that all the 30 toilets will be put to use before December.