Oyo State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, warned residents of the state against defecating in the open in any part of the state, saying culprits will serve one-week non-custodial punishment or pay N5,000 fine.
The Assembly added that any person who deposits faeces in an open place is liable to punishment.
Deputy Speaker, Muhammed Fadeyi, told journalists that the punishment attached to open defecation is the sequel to a bill sponsored in the Assembly.
Fadeyi, who represents Ona Ara State Constituency in the state House of Assembly, said when the bill entitled, ‘Oyo State Open Defecation Prohibition Bill 2020’ becomes law, open defecation in any part of the state would be prohibited.
The lawmaker also said that any person who owns a premise and refuses to provide toilet facilities within three months from the commencement of the bill commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for three months or would pay a fine of N50,000 or both.
According to him, “Oyo State Open Defecation Prohibition Bill 2020 is to herald a law that would prohibit open defecation in Oyo State. We need to eradicate open defecation in the state. When it becomes law, any person who defecates in the open place commits an offence and is liable to a fine of N5,000 or non-custodial punishment for one week.
“It is at the committee level, very soon we will do a public hearing on it. Any person who owns a premise shall make provision for toilet facilities within such a premise. Any person who owns a premise and refuses or fails to provide toilet facilities within three months from the commencement of this bill commits an offence and is liable to conviction to imprisonment for three months or a fine of N50,000 or both.”