To contain the spread of the cholera outbreak, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) has warned residents against open defecation in bushes and uncompleted buildings, drinking untreated water, and eating unwashed fruits and vegetables.
The warning came from the overseeing director of RUWASSA, Mr Luke Ifop Ulom, who declared that adherence to the open defecation policy was not negotiable, especially during the dry season.
He said the idea of using bushes and uncompleted buildings for defecation was unhealthy and dangerous as reptiles were common in such places.
Ulom also charged the residents to desist from eating fruits without washing them and to be mindful of what they drink.
The RUWASSA chief said the agency had embarked on sensitisation and awareness campaigns across the FCT.
He viewed that RUWASSA would enforce stringent penalties against open defecation to deter individuals from engaging in such unhygienic practices as the cholera epidemic was on the prowl.
Ulom explained that FCT RUWASSA had been investing in the development of proper sewage systems and waste management infrastructure to ensure efficient disposal of human waste.
He assured the residents that the agency would upgrade and expand the existing sanitation facilities to accommodate the growing population and check the cholera epidemic.
He said the government had made provision for public toilets in strategic locations in the nation’s capital and urged the residents to be hygienic.
