The Oyo State Open Defecation Prohibition Bill 2020, which is currently being examined by the House Committee on Environment, fines anyone caught in open defecation the sum of N5,000 and an option of non-custodial punishment of one week.

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 lawmakers, during second reading of the bill, highlighted some areas where houses that did not have toilet facilities are rampant such that residents embraced the practice of flinging their wrapped faeces into bushes or defecating into streams.

When the bill is passed into law, house owners will be mandated to make provision for toilet facilities in such premises as they will be given three months grace to ensure this provision else they would face imprisonment for three months or a fine of N50, 000 or both upon conviction.

The law will also apply to companies as companies who fail to provide toilet facilities shall be deemed guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of N200, 000.

Premises whether residential or commercial that perpetually flout the law, would have their premises sealed by the state government.

On the other hand, the law stipulates that the state government has to fulfil a duty to erect public and mobile toilets in strategic locations across the state.

Upon passage of the bill into law, the magistrate court or environmental mobile courts will have the duty to try offenders while the state Commissioner for Environment shall be empowered to ensure that the provisions of the bill are implemented to the letter.

Particularly, the state Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources or designated agency of government shall be detailed to enforce the provisions of the law as the proposed law also empowers them to check houses to confirm if they have toilets.

The bill might be subjected to public hearing going by observations of members during its second reading.

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.

According to World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund joint monitoring report, an estimated 47 million Nigerians practice open defecation.