By Yemi Adedeji, Abuja
Ibrahim Jubril, Minister of Environment, Tuesday lamented that diseases such as cholera, typhoid and other diarrhoea diseases may continue to be a scourge to Nigeria’s due to faulty disposal of sewage and waste water.
Jubril spoke at a press conference in Abuja as part of activities lined up to commemorate this year”s World Toilet Day with the theme, ‘Waste Water Management’ .
He also lamented 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.
According to him, ” most urban areas do not have sewage systems. 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.”
He added that,”the implication of this practice is that entire diseases such as cholera, typhoid and other diarrhoea diseases may continue to be a scourge to our population because of faulty disposal of sewage and waste water.”
“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 nation and eye 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 down or not clean for public use.”
He therefore stressed that this year’s commemoration was 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.