Worried by rampant open defecation in the state, a law which fines prohibits people from defecating in open places or depositing faeces anywhere in the state is in the offing. The Oyo State Open Defecation Prohibition Bill 2020, which is currently being scrutinised by the House Committee on Environment, fines anyone caught in open defecation the sum of N5,000. The bill for a law to prohibit open defecation is sponsored by Speaker, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin; deputy Speaker, Honourable Abiodun Fadeyi; and Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Honourable Olusola Owolabi. The move by the state Assembly to have an open defecation law is in conformity with the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari while signing executive order 009 titled, “The Open Defecation-Free by 2025 and Other Related Matters Order” that all states enact legislation on open defecation. An estimated 47 million Nigerians, according to the World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund joint monitoring report, practice open defecation.

Source: Nigerian Tribune May 25, 2020 20:15 UTC