Bauchi scores Katagum LG low on sanitation, open defecation

Bauchi State Task Group on Sanitation (STGS) has scored Katagum Local Government Area of the state low at the just-concluded certification exercise conducted as prerequisite for the council to attain open defecating assessment of the group.

Briefing the council’s special WASH committee on the outcome of the exercise, the STGS chairperson, Hajiya Halima Mohammed expressed shock that the local government scored 64 per cent in open defecation.

She described the outcome of the exercise as appalling considering that Katagum Local Government Area as the second prominent council in size and population in the state, noting that many households had failed to construct toilets despite previous efforts to educate them on the danger of open defecation.

While acknowledging the incidence of toilet collapse due to heavy downpour this year, Hajiya Mohammed bemoaned the council authorities for not doing enough to support the WASH Special Committee on Sanitation to carry out its mandate to sensitise the public on the health hazards associated with open defecation and failure to construct improved toilets.

She urged the council to ensure proper funding of the WASH unit and re-organise the Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committees (WASHCOM) at ward levels by allowing only people with passion for WASH to enlist as members.

Responding, the council’s WASH coordinator, Mallam Saidu Mohammed Alkali blamed previous leadership of the council for its unimpressive performance in the current rating exercise but expressed optimism that the new council would address the situation.“We have a by-law already in place against open defecation but enforcement is our major problem and the Special Committee cannot function effectively without financial and logistic support to carry out its mandate.

“The result of the just-concluded exercise shows that the council would re-strategise to ensure that Katagum Local Government Area attains open defecation free status soon,” Alkali explained.

Earlier, representatives of the CSOs and government agencies, Nelson Kawe of FAHIMTA and Hajiya Asamau Zuni of the Primary Healthcare Agency called for increased awareness on attitudinal change by encouraging households to construct toilets and avoid open defecation, to check the spread of water-borne diseases.

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