… As Jigawa govt spends N160m to end open defecation***
President Muhammadu Buhari says he does not care about his successor in 2023, saying he has no favourite in the forthcoming general elections.
The president stated this in an interview he granted to Channels television which was televised on Wednesday evening.
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According to him, “I am not interested in who becomes the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as I am open to the emergence of anyone.
“No. Let him come, whoever it is.
“The only important thing (is) I made sure that on record, nobody should ask me to come and give any evidence in any court. Otherwise, whoever it is, he will be in trouble. Because all the important things are on record.
I made sure about that.
Important issues are all on record.”
Pressed on whether he has any favourite in the APC, he added: “No. I wouldn’t because the person could be eliminated if I mention it. I better keep it secret.”
President Buhari, who also spoke on other national issues including the detained self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, ruled out the possibility of his release, saying that he would not interfere with the judiciary.
The president frowned at the way and manner Kanu and IPOB had been damaging the image of Nigeria abroad.
When reminded that some Igbo elders had requested for the release of the secessionist agitator, President Buhari insisted never to interfere with the judiciary as Kanu will have the opportunity to defend himself.
He, however, did not rule out a political solution to the matter, saying that it would depend on if Kanu behaves himself.
He said: “There is one institution that I wouldn’t dare interfere with.
That’s the judiciary.
Kanu’s case is with the judiciary.
“But what I wonder is when Kanu was simply in Europe, abusing this administration and mentioning too many things, I never thought really he wants to voluntarily come and defend himself on the accusations he has.
“So, we are giving him an opportunity to defend himself in our system and not to be abusing us from Europe as if he is not a Nigerian.
“Let him come here with us and then criticize us here in Nigeria, let him be listened to.
“But people who are saying he should be released, no, we cannot release him.”
On his refusal to assent the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the president said that it did not provide options for political parties to choose their candidates, saying the options of direct, indirect and consensus should be exploited by the parties.
He said: “Personally, I don’t support direct primaries because I want people to be given a choice.
You can’t give them one option and think that you are being democratic.
”Let them have the three options.”
”I don’t think I told them what I don’t like.
All I said (is) there should be options.
We must not insist that it has to be direct.
It should be consensus and indirect.”
The president, who also reacted to the issue of State Police, expressed reservations over it, expressing the fear that state police may be abused by state governors.
”State police is not an option.
Find out the relationship between local government and the governors.
Are the third tier of government getting what they are supposed to get constitutionally? Are they getting it?
”Let the people in local government tell you the truth on the fight between local governments and the Governors,” he added.
The president also responded to answers bordering on Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, farmer/herder conflicts and socio-economic conditions of citizens.
He said he is aware of the poor economic conditions being experienced by Nigerians, adding that he is aware of the pains they are going through.
“I’m absolutely aware of it.
But as I said, look at the vastness of Nigeria, only 2.4 per cent of the arable land is being used.
We realized it rather too late. We have to go back to the land,” he said.
In the meantime, Jigawa Government says it has spent N160 million on sensitisation activities to promote behavioural change to curb open defecation in the state.
Mr. Labaran Adamu, Managing Director, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), disclosed this in an interview with the newsmen on Wednesday in Dutse.
Adamu said the amount was expended in 2021, to mobilise and encourage change in community perceptions regarding use of latrines, especially in households without access to latrines.
The managing director spoke on the background of the government’s drive to become the first state to be certified Open Defecation Free (ODF) in the country.
“As you are aware, Jigawa has been involved in the efforts to prohibit open defecation throughout the state.
“Over N160 million have been committed to the war against open defecation in the state.
“The amount was spent on consultants who are experts in mobilizing local communities to make sure that all households have constructed a latrine with cover and handwashing facilities.
“A contract has been awarded to supply latrine’s cover and handwashing facilities in all the households in our rural communities,” he said.
Adamu said it was not an easy task for the agency and others to successfully convince the rural dwellers to embrace the practice of using latrine in their homes.
“You know one thing with the behavioural change is a difficult task.
“In one of the communities, somebody stood up and told you that since I got married about 50 years ago I have never used latrine, all my wives, children and grandchildren are going to the bush to defecate.
“So even if we have been achieving success in that respect, we are suggesting to local government authorities to enact bylaws with penalty to discourage people from defecating in the open.
“Most of the local councils have enacted bylaws, however, enforcement is the problem, as they are reluctant about it.
“If the local councils are enforcing the law, this bad attitude of open defecation in rural communities will be address,” he said.
According to him, the state government is working on a bill to enforce compliance with the law against open defecation.
Adamu said that 18 of the 27 LGAs had achieved ODF status, adding that proactive measures were necessary to ensure total eradication of the menace.
He lauded Gov. Badaru Abubakar’s commitment towards addressing the open defecation problem in the state.
“The target is to see that Jigawa becomes the first state to be declared ODF.
“In this regard, we have 18 LGA that have been certified ODF by the National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS).
“NTGS is an independent body assigned with the responsibility by the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, to certify and declare any local government that has achieved the ODF status,”
He listed the councils to include Birnin Kudu; Buji, Roni, Gwiwa, Kiyawa, Gagarawa, Dutse, Sule-Tankarkar, Kafin Hausa, Auyo and Birniwa.
Others were Jahun; Taura, Guri, Hadejia, Malam-Madori, Kirikasama and Ringim.
The managing director said that four other local councils including Gumel, Maigatari, Babura and Kazaure were being verified by the NTGS, adding that it envisaged to achieve ODF status by June 2022.
He said that the NTGS was also expected to conclude its verification exercise before the end of the year in Miga, Yan Kwashi, Gwaram and Garki LGAs.
According to statistics of the Federal Ministery of Water Resources about 46 million Nigerians lack access to latrines and toilets.
It showed that the country needed to achieve ODF status in 143 LGAs per annum to meet the 2025 target, and 72 LGAs per annum to end open defecation by 2030.
