World Toilet Day: Public Conveniences ‎Not Accessible, Minister Laments

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Jubril, has noted with dismay that public conveniences in many institutions such as government offices, market, petrol stations are not accessible to members of the public as they are either locked down or not clean for public use.

Jubril disclosed this at a press conference tuesday in Abuja ‎as part of activities marking this year World Toilet Day with the theme: ‘Waste Water Management’

He said this year’s commemoration is intended to draw global attention to sanitation challenges and reawaken societal consciousness on the importance of having and using sage toilets by every household which are ‎in close proximity to their homes.

Jubril stated: “We have noted with dismay the sad fact ‎that public conveniences in many institutions such as government offices, markets, petrol stations, bother public and private are sad reminder of sanitation in our country and we need to do more.

“It is sad that many offices and other public places have toilets which are not accessible to members of the public ‎as they are either locked or not clean for public use,” the minister noted.

He emphasised that most urban areas do not have sewage systems, adding that safe collection of sewage and disposal become a huge challenge as many of the bodies of water, including streams and rivers, become repository for sewage and waste water.

The minister said: “The implication‎ of this practice is that entire diseases such as cholera, typhoid and other diarrhea diseases may continue to be a scourge to our population because of faulty disposal of sewage and waste water.”