By Nakanda Iyadim
OGOJA (CONVERSEER) – A community in Abakpa, Ogoja Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State, has turned a site used for open defecation (shitting) into a palm wine joint.
The site, located along Boki road, which in the last decades posed health risks to the community, is now a leisure centre.
The effort followed the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Programme, implemented under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiative, supported by UNICEF in the LGA.
The testimony was shared by Philip Igiri, a member of the Cross River State Task Group on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (STG-WASH), during a debriefing session following a 7-day certification exercise carried out by a 20-man team across 207 communities, aimed at declaring Ogoja Open Defecation-Free (ODF).
Igiri, who led the team for Ogoja Urban 2 ward, noted that the results were remarkable; virtually every household was found to have functional toilet facilities where they shit, although a few lacked handwashing facilities. Suggestions were made, and some households quickly implemented handwashing solutions, motivated by community awareness and the desire to comply.
According to him, “What’s truly astounding is that an Open Defecation (OD) site as of last year is now a popular palm wine joint. When my WASHCOM team member informed me, I was initially sceptical, but confirmation from the commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) validated the change. We must celebrate Ogoja for this significant achievement. We no longer shit in the open”
Joy Nwonu, UNICEF WASH State Facilitator, in an interview, assured the State team that all concerns raised during the fieldwork would be addressed promptly. She expressed optimism that, with continued support and commitment from local WASH committees and the local government authority, Ogoja would achieve ODF status.
Reacting to concerns raised about sustainability through adequate enforcement, the WASH Specialist asserted, “Sustainability will not be an issue, as the State Chief Judge chairs the State’s Steering Committee. ODF enforcement will proceed smoothly, and penalties will be imposed on those who do not comply.”
Engr. Enyi Kanu, the STG-WASH certification team lead, expressed gratitude to UNICEF and other key actors for their dedication to improving the living conditions of residents in Cross River.
He acknowledged the challenges faced in promoting behavioural change but noted that significant improvements were observed, especially in rural areas.
Responding on behalf of the Head of Administration in Ogoja, Jeremiah Adie, extended the appreciation of the Council to the State Task Group for “their thorough efforts in the certification exercise” and pledged the Council’s commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the initiative which he noted will help improve the living conditions of ordinary residents in the area.
The exercise underscores the Cross River State Government’s commitment to the Federal Government’s roadmap to eliminate open defecation by 2030.
Out of the 207 communities evaluated 189 were certified ODF and recommended for validation by the National Task Group on Sanitation as Open Defecation Free, 16 were not certified, and 2 others were inaccessible due to flooding, marking a significant milestone in the fight against poor sanitation and neglected tropical diseases in Ogoja.
