The Nasarawa State Government has frowned over the practice of open defecation in old stores along Doma road in Lafia the state capital.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Aliyu Agwai, stated this during the inspection of the November sanitation exercise threatened to sanction those caught in the act.
He said it is unfortunate that some people still defecate openly despite the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Agwai further said that President Muhammadu Buhari had on November 2019 signed Executive Order 009 to end open defecation by 2025 in the country.
The Permanent Secretary however assured the people that the ministry would evacuate refuge in the area on daily basis to guard against further outbreaks of cholera in the state.
The PS said the ministry has 64 refugee collection points in Lafia the state capital alone where their personnel evacuates refuge on daily basis.
He also urged residents of the state to patronise private refugee evacuation companies or dump their refugee at the collection points.
On the general assessment of the November sanitation exercise, the PS commended residents for the level of compliance.
He urged the public to sustain compliance and continue to maintain personal and public hygiene to guard against outbreaks of diseases.
Meanwhile, A mobile court, handling environmental-related cases, has prosecuted 52 persons for alleged violation of environmental sanitation laws in Lafia.
The Prosecutor, and Chief Environment Officer, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed, told the court that the suspects were transacting their private businesses while the sanitation exercise was in progress.
Mohammed said that the offenses violated Section 9(2), of the State Environmental Sanitation Law.
He urged the court to sanction the culprits accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others.
The judge, Mr. Abdullahi Lande, convicted and sentenced them to between six weeks to six months imprisonment each with the option of a fine of between N5,000 and N50,000.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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