NAN-AE-8
Toilet
By Vivian Emoni
Abuja, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON), said on Tuesday that over 2.4 billion people in the world have no access to toilet facilities.
The Registrar of the council, Mr Dominic Abonyi, made the disclosure in Abuja during inspection of filling stations in the FCT.
Abonyi represented by Mr Andy Ukah, Assistant Director, Ethics and Standard Enforcement of the council, said that the inspection was part of the exercise to commemorate the World Toilet Day, tagged “Toilets and Jobs”.
The registrar said that about 17 per cent of people working in public places always fall sick because of insanitary condition of the environment, particularly the toilets.
“We are trying to obey what the world is putting to us by ensuring that every person has access to toilets by 2030. We will continue this exercise.
“The council will always collaborate with agencies like Abuja Environmental Protection Board, (AEPB) Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and other area councils to implement this project,’’ he said.
He said that the globe celebrates the World Toilet Day every Nov. 19.
Abonyi said that the essence of the celebration was to increase the awareness and inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.
He explained that the theme was also for the world to take action to reach the 2.4 billion people who had no access to toilets as well as promote environmental sanitation.
The registrar said that the council also served filling stations with dirty environment and toilets with abatement notice.
He said that the notice would last for seven days, adding that at its expiration, further action would be taken against them.
“We ordered them that they should ensure that their toilets are in good shapes, especially those public toilets used by their customers as well as their environment.
“If the management of the stations refused to comply by the order given to them, an action will be taken against them as soon as possible,’’ he said.
Abonyi expressed dismay over the poor conditions of toilets in filling stations and called on the management to ensure adequate maintenance.
He, however, advised Nigerians to support the right things, adding that such attitude would sustain peace and unity of the nation.
Mr Esho Kehinde, Manager, Conoil, Filling Station, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the inspection was a good development, adding that the efforts would promote environmental sanitation in the FCT.
NAN reports that some of the filling stations visited were not in good condition due to lack of water. (NAN)
VOE/MNA/AFA
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu/Felix Ajide
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