Open defecation: Ogun vows to apprehend offenders

The Ogun State Government has issued a stern warning to miscreants defacing the median along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with faeces.

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The residents and pedestrians along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have decried the continuous open defecation on the reconstructed drainage system.

The trend was said to have become rampant as pedestrians who cross the expressway were forced to cover their noses.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, while speaking to newsmen said the ministry was planning to step up enforcement to apprehend defaulters.

Reacting further on Thursday, Oresanya said the offenders would be subjected to community service and made to clean the faeces along the median.

He said, “We are going to employ the locals in the community to carry out the enforcement and we are going to pay them. What they are going to do is to chase away anyone who wants to defecate there. It is not rocket science to get this done.

“These people are going to be there day and night and anyone that proves to be recalcitrant will be given community service. The community service here is not to take them to prison. We will give them an apron and shovel to pack and clean the faeces along the median. Our correspondent who monitored the sanitary situation on the expressway on Wednesday observed that the median from Berger in Lagos State inward Kara, Warewa and Mowe in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State had become regular spots for defecation”  he added.

PUNCH/Wumi