The Yendi Municipal Assembly has taken legal action against seven individuals for engaging in open defecation, imposing a fine of GH₵600 on each offender, as it goes against the Assembly's bye-laws on open defecation prohibition.
Alhaji Hammed Abubakar Yussif, the Yendi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), revealed during a discussion on GBC's local Naya Radio that a phone call was received reporting people engaging in open defecation “just behind the radio station.”
A team was immediately formed, resulting in the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the seven individuals.
MCE Alhaji Yussif emphasized that more offenders will be prosecuted in the future and issued a stern warning about the environmental threat posed by open defecation.
Open defecation refers to the act of defecating in the open, often in fields, bushes, forests, or open bodies of water, in the absence of proper sanitation infrastructure.
It is a widespread practice where access to sanitation facilities is limited.
Approximately 892 million people, or 12 per cent of the global population, engage in open defecation.
The latest Population and Housing Census conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service revealed that about 17.7 per cent of households in Ghana practice open defecation.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Alhaji Yussif stated that starting from June 2023, the Assembly would intensify the prosecution of offenders.
The interview took place during the second multi-stakeholder dialogue on WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), themed “Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and Sustainable WASH Service Delivery,” with a sub-theme focusing on providing clean water and improved sanitation to every child.
The event was organized by World Vision International's Ghana Chapter, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, the United States Agency for International Development, and other partners.
The Yendi MCE announced that the Assembly had initiated a program to assist households in constructing toilet facilities, and the necessary materials and manpower would be made available within a week after discussions with the Assembly.
