The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria, (FOMWAN) in Ogun State has called on government to institute a legislation to contain the menace of open defecation, which is a major threat to public health, saying open defecation is an immoral act that requires immediate total elimination as Nigeria ranks the first practising open defeacation worldwide.
The Association has therefore urged Muslim faithful to live in a way that will be a blessing rather than being a course to others.
According to FOMWAN the Punch Newspaper of 28 October 2019 reported that Nigeria ranks number one country practicing open defecation, leaving India behind.
It also quoted the World Health Organisation and UNICEF’s Joint Monitoring Report, which states that about 50 million Nigerians are estimated to be practicing open defecation and this is common in the northern part of the country.
Accordingly, the Association said the Nigerian government launched a National Road Map in 2019 with the target to end open defecation practice by 2025 in line with the global target set by the United Nations.
The Plan as it said involves providing equitable access to water, sanitation, and hygienic services in deprived communities.
The Amirah (FOMWAN), Ogun State Chapter , Alhaja Kudirat Rabiu who spoke at a news conference to commemorate this year's FOMWAN week held between the 1st - 6th of June with the theme " My Community My Pride : Our General Well-being and Saying No to Open defecation’
According to her, open defecation threatens the well-being of others in the community as it is linked to health risks such as diarrhoea, cholera , water- borne diseases and typhoid hence the need to avoid any act that can jeopardise the well - being of others .
She further stated that the quality of life of others , their health , happiness and prosperity all depends on people’s activities whether good or bad, which calls for the need for them to be compassionate and just in any Community they find ourselves since justice is a tool for maintaining a balanced Community.
" Well-being enables people to contribute meaningfully to the community and live in a way that is good for them and others around. We must at all cost protect the people and the environment"
" We must adopt the path of moderation and kindness in whatever we do and where ever we find ourselves ( religious places ,working places ,within our family and among our friends and relatives .Moderation is key to achieving general well-being and successful end’’
Speaking on the theme My Community , My Pride , the Amirah of FOMWAN said our community should be our pride because protecting the sanctity of the community by ensuring a healthy and safe environment would aid the promotion of general well-being..
"My community is my pride; your community should be your pride too. Why? Our community is one of the most primary points of contact that describes much of whom we are. This explains the reason why the second question that is usually asked after our name is: Where are you from? This means that everyone belongs to one community or the other. If that is the case, everyone must strive to contribute his or her own quota to its purity, unity and progress"
Alhaja Rabiu said campaign against open defecation should be an everyday task because people can only take pride in a community that is clean and free from open defecation and this can only be achieved by doing the right thing to fight the menace to a standstill .
She further enthused "It is our duty to protect its sanctity and dignity, and to secure its potentials. Protecting the sanctity of our community by ensuring a healthy and safe environment, would aid the promotion of our general well-being".
According to her ,FOMWAN as an NGO and faith-based organisation is committed to championing the campaign against open defecation by enjoining Muslim men, brothers and sisters not to involve in such act that is inimical to the progress of the society, if the good they wish for themselves is what they really wish for others .
She said, ’’As an NGO and faith-based organisation, FOMWAN is committed to championing the campaign against open defecation by enjoining our Muslim men and women, brothers and sisters, not to involve in such inimical practice or refrain from such act, if the good they wish for themselves is what they really want for others, and to protect the people’s well-being and the environment’’.
" We are also devoted to complement the efforts of the government, with the support of the people, to build sanitation facilities in public places. We are involved in encouraging our mothers through conferences, symposia, lectures, and electronic and social media, to prioritise total sanitation in their various houses. We pray Allah to make the task of making ‘our community our pride by making it open-defecation free’ in order to enhance the well-being of all’’
And as part of the campaign against open defecation, the group said it had paid a visit to Abeokuta North Local government Nursery and Primary School Federal Housing Estate, Elaga Abeokuta where buckets and sanitation materials were distributed alongside talks on the implication of open defecation with the promise to extend this gesture to other areas.
According to Alhaja Rabiu, as part of the objectives of FOMWAN , it has the mandate to adopt a community where it shall be advancing the cause of ensuring a just ,clean and equitable society.
Consequently, she said FOMWAN Ogun State is adopting Kere Community in ifo Local government to carry out its Dawah activities and help the community to achieve the goal of a just , clean and healthy society.
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