Open defecation drops in Mion District of Northern Region

Sang (N/R), Aug. 26, GNA - Various efforts by stakeholders in the Mion District of the Northern Region has led to a drop in the rate of open defecation in the area.

Out of 179 communities in the district 146 are practicing open defecation free and 33 communities are still on open defecation in the district.

Mr Abdulai Abukari, the Mion District Environmental Officer, said this during a town hall meeting organized by Justice and Peace Committee of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Sang.

The event was organised in collaboration with the Catholic Diocesan Justice and Peace Council with Mion District Assembly and supported by Konrad Adenauer Stiffung.

Various stakeholders attending the event at the Nazareth Estate hall in Sang included chiefs, youth groups, opinion leaders, assembly members, environmental officers and heads of department among others.

Mr Abukari said the Assembly and UNICEF are carrying out a programme on Social Sanitation Fund to support the aged in the society.

He said there is also a Sanitation Revolving Fund for the construction of latrines in household and all this is aimed at eradicating open defecation by December 2019 in the District.

Mr Abukari said the District has a population of 81,812 with 20 Electoral Areas and three Area Councils made up of Sang, Jimle and Kpabya.

In his welcome address Father Isidore Aacyan, Parish Priest of Sang, said they should all see themselves as members of the district and should work hard in practicing good governance to move the district forward.

Father Isidore appealed to participants to spread the message on the need to halt open defecation adding that all were involved in this regard.

Mr Peter Atia, Diocesan Justice and Peace Coordinator, said the Bishop Conference has mandated the National Catholic Justice and Peace Commission to organize town hall meetings in selected districts around the country.

Mr Atia said in the Yendi Catholic Diocese seven districts were selected for the effort, including Sang, with the theme: “Community Participation in Local Governance for Rapid and sustainable Development”.

He said when citizens are aware of what the assembly is doing then there will surely be trust in the society.

Sergeant Effah Enoch, Mion Sector Police Commander, said the major security problem facing the District was stray cattle destroying the farms of people.

He said they have warned the Fulani herdsmen to see to it that they take good care of the cattle but they are not finding solution to the problem.

During question and contribution time the people said Sang has no abattoir, and the butcher house is very poor, they appealed to the Environment and Sanitation Until to intensify sensitization on the construction of household citrines in all the 179 communities.

GNA

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