The Federal Government has presented a certificate award of Open Defecation Free (ODF) to Ikenne Local Government Area in Ogun State, for its efforts at combating open defecation.

Wife of the state Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, who received the award on behalf of the local government, from the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev at Eco-Centre, Ikenne, promised that the status would be sustained.

Mrs. Abiodun, who doubles as the Lead Sanitation in the state, said behavioural change was needed to curb the old practice, stating that maintaining proper hygiene practices would impart the health and overall well-being of the citizens of the state.

She noted that the Prince Dapo Abiodun led-administration was working assiduously to ensure a safer and cleaner environment that would enhance wellness and living condition of the people, pledging continued support for more local governments in the state to achieve the status by the year 2025.

 While congratulating the authority of the council area, Mrs. Abiodun admonished residents to inculcate the habit of using proper toilet facility, ensure regular handwashing and refuse disposal, in order to create conducive environment for all and sundry.

Speaking, Prof. Utsev, represented by the Director of Water Hygiene and Sanitation, Mr. Olu-Daniel Ibiyemi, said the achievement recorded by Ikenne Local Government (LG) was not just a title but an indication of progress in achieving national target, and a testament that the road map to safer environment was achievable.

The Minister noted that good hygiene practices help in curbing water-borne and other communicable diseases, which could retard national development, appreciated the state government and developing partners for their efforts in achieving the remarkable feat, charging public and private organisations to make toilet facilities available in their domains, in order to have ODF nation.

On her part, Commissioner for Rural Development, Mrs. Olufemi Ilori-Oduntan lauded the prompt intervention of the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for supporting Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWATSAN), to construct toilet facilities and provide Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), to over 171 communities and households in the Ikenne LG. 

Mrs. Ilori-Oduntan, who revealed that the present administration’s efforts towards achieving state-wide Open Defecation Free status by the year 2025, was yielding results, as toilet facilities were being made available in public places across the state, with provision of potable water for proper hygienic practice, to avert any environmental challenges and disease outbreak, urging the residents not to reneged on the process that earned them the status.

In his remarks, Programme Manager, RUWATSAN, Mr. Sola Ogunbo, said the state had been working endlessly to ensure residents desist from defecating openly through various programmes and activities such as, Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH), Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Approach and Public Sensitisation, among others, promising that  the agency would ensure that every households complied with ‘’a house to a toilet’’ campaign in the remaining 19 LG Areas in the state.

Other dignitaries at the occasion were, Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, Traditional rulers, representatives of development partners and Community Development Councils.