Speaking in a welcome address at the event held at Edmond Hotels in Asaba Delta State, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari represented by the Ag. State Director, NOA, Delta State, Mr. Chris Anyabuine stated that the ranking of Nigeria as number one amongst countries practising Open Defecation in the world and Africa is a wake up call for our nation to remedy the ugly situation.
He therefore commended President Mohamadu Buhari for signing into law the Executive Order 009 aimed at achieving Open-Defecation – Free Nigeria by 2025.
The NOA D-G declared that on its part, the NOA in line with it’s mandate of positively changing attitudes, values and behaviours in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has launched a Nationwide sensitization campaign on Open Defecation Free Nigeria as crucial strategy for achieving the president’s mandate on ODF Nigeria by 2025.
He noted that the capacity building workshop was part of the agency’s strategies to equip the COMOs with requisite information and skills to take awareness creation to the grassroots with a view to changing the situation for the better.
The objectives of the campaign the D-G stated is to enlighten Nigerians on the harmful effects of Open Defecation and encourage the to practice Community Led Total Sanitation as well as to advocate for the provision of functional sanitation facilities in all public and private organizations among others.
Delta State, he stated , was one of the states chosen for the campaign and urged the COMOs to implement the campaign with the usual dedication and high standards of project implementation in the agency.
In his remarks, the Honourable Minister for Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) Engr. Suleiman Adamu represented by Mrs. Clara Ugoji said statistics indicate that more than forty million Nigerians lacked access to toilet facilities thereby engaging in open defecation.
According to him, the the task of reversing the prevalence of Open Defecation in Nigeria was an enormous one requiring the collaboration of all . He stated that different components of the campaign has been handed over to different agencies and that the NOA by its mandate and reach have been charged with mounting aggressive grassroots nationwide sensitization to eradicate Open Defecation in Nigeria. He added that another group , the Environmental Health Workers of the Councils are responsible for the enforcement component of the ODF Nigeria campaign.
In his speech, the Delta State Commissioner for Water Resources, Rt. Hon. Martin Okonta, represented by Engr. Blessing Edevwor, Director of Quality Control and Sanitation, stated that Delta State always leveraged on every developmental programs coming from the Federal Government.
He commended NOA and FMWR for the collaboration to take awareness creation on Open Defecation to the grassroots in the state. The Honourable Commissioner disclosed that Delta State Government through his Ministry had keyed into the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and UNICEF sanitization programs.
The General Manager , Delta State Rural Water Supply Agency (RUWASA) , Engr. Clement Adiotomre who was present but spoke through a resource person from the agency Mr. Jude Memeh said that Delta State has keyed into National Roadmap for Open Defecation Free Nigeria and has launched the Delta State Roadmap.
Mr. Memeh stated that some communities in Delta State have been certified Open Defecation Free.
Mr. Jude Memeh said NOA in Delta State has been a long-standing ally of RUWASA in the state and that he was glad to see NOA COMOs with whom they had partnered on Community engagements at LGAs and Community levels on Open Defecation and WASH programmes.
While making her contributions, the Clean Nigeria Campaign representative, Mrs. Susan Offiono, who was a resource person at the event thanked NOA for being part of the Clean Nigeria campaign and declared that together we all must work to reverse the current poor Open Defecation status of the nation.
*Highlights of the event were:*
i. Presentation of drama by staff of NOA Delta State on “Open Defecation in Nigeria” as part of the TFD (Theatre for Development) strategy of NOA in Community engagement and sensitization particularly in communities with little access to print and electronic media. The drama received commendations from participants as it vividly illustrated the issue under reference.
ii.The development of a sensitization work plan for each LGA by NOA COMOs in the state was supervised by an official from the Public Enlightenment and Mass Mobilzation Department of the NOA National Headquarters, Amaka Aninta .
ii. The Clean Nigeria Campaign through it’s official , Mrs Susan Offiono presented the president’s Executive Order 009 to and also decorated the Ag. State Director NOA Delta State, Mr Chris Anyabuine as an ambassador of Clean Nigeria Campaign in Delta State.