Osun NAWOJ urges government to enforce sanitary law, optimize VAPP law in favor of Women....joins Osun First Lady and ALGON to sensitize on End Open Defecation, End Violence against Women...

By Abisola Ariwodola,

Osun state chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists has called on the government of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to enforce sanitary law that will ensure clean, hygienic and unpolluted environment for women, children and other residents in the state.

This is also as the association asked that the Osun, Violence Against Persons Prohibition law to be optimized in favour of women and the girl-child, adding that though every gender is prone to violence, but attention must be given to the female gender.

The state chapter of the women journalists joined the first lady of Osun state, WASH Ambassador, Mrs Kafayat Oyetola, as well as the Chairman of Ifedayo local government, an award winning open defecation free local government, Hon Idowu Samuel to discourse on end open defecation and end violence against women in Osun.

A veteran of the NAWOJ association, the immediate former National Auditor, Comrade Mrs Adesola Arawole Adegbite made this known at a two-in-one women and children protection programme, organized by Osun Nawoj held at the Olu Osungbohun hall of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Osogbo.

In her lecture tagged 'Clean Osun: End Open Defecation Now', 'End Sexual and Gender Based Violence', Mrs Adesola stated that sanitary law must emerge with public health force and that the campaign of proper disposal of waste must be intensified, while dunghill should be cleared out and closed in urban and rural areas, she added that street policing to arrest open defecation defaulters must commence.

Frowning at actions of some lawless persons who turned public toilet to shops all in the name of economic benefit, she called on government to prosecute such persons and she also called out to philanthropist to support the government by building functional public toilets as donation to the society.

Mrs. Adesola at the two-in-one Women and Children program done with the support of ace WASH Ambassador, the wife of the governor Mrs Kafayat Oyetola, said that periodic assessment of houses who default in building toilet must be done, public places must have toilets and houses without toilets be sealed up to make examples of defaulters, all with proper monitoring and evaluation, only then can free open defecation come to reality in Osun.

Speaking on Sexual and Gender Based Violence, she asked that the Violence against Persons Prohibition VAPP law already existing in Osun be optimized in favor of the female, she charged the gathering consisting of secondary school students to avoid endangering the girl child through assault, bully or rape, while she charged parents to shun the outdated and barbaric act of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

On the End Sexual and Gender Based Violence in commemoration of 16 days activism, Adesola urged the female students not to condone or hide any type of violence, but to talk to someone, or report to appropriate authorities about it. She added that the female gender should not be violated under any circumstances.

Also in his lecture, the Osun Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON Chairman Hon Idowu Samuel who is also the chairman of Ifedayo local government, an open defecation free award winning local government maintained that an open defecation free environment is a disease and sickness free environment, hence maintaining absolute hygiene and cleanliness is a watch word that must be embraced and acted upon.

The Chairman represented by his deputy, Hon Diran Adedayo said having an open defecation free environment is achievable, it is an archaic habit that can be discarded, he stated that the process in modern time is easy, all that is needed is a space to build toilet for usage.

He spoke further that Odo-Otin, Ayedaade, Atakumosa West and Ede North according to UNICEF rating are on the way to open defecation free environment, he used the medium to call on offenders to shun such shameful act.

Speaking on End Gender Based Violence, the ALGON Chairman stated that the government of Mr Adegboyega Oyetola will never support any form of violence against any female gender in the state, he added that the government have instituted a gender committee to that effect.

The Special Guest of Honor, the Chairman of Osun Primary Health Care Board, Hon Leke Ogunsola reiterated that Osun government will never fold its hands against perpetrators of violence or open defecation, hence its putting up policies against such.

Hon Ogunsola commending the Osun chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, asked that the association to share its communique on the discourse and that it should also intensify the campaign, while also building the collaboration with the government on women and children related issues.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the NAWOJ National Vice President B-Zone Ayaba Omobola Akingbehin reiterated that cleanliness is next to godliness and a clean environment is panacea, she added that availability of toilet will prevent diseases such as cholera, dysentery among others.

The B-Zone Vice President represented by the B-Zone Zonal Secretary Comrade Funmi Adekoya stressed that nature cannot be cheated and as such open defecation is not hygienic, she tasked the government to take proactive measure of building public toilets through its councils, and also to arrest and prosecute every owner of buildings that has no toilet facility in Osun state.

On end violence against women, the NAWOJ national leadership pointed out that the 16 days activism on End Violence against women is an annual global celebration, she affirmed that it holds yearly between November 25 and December 10, added that the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists NAWOJ body observed the celebration nationwide.

Speaking further, she asked that there should be fairness on Sexual and Gender Based Violence issue, says boys and men are also prone nowadays to violence respectively, she used the medium to charge parents to pay attention to their children against gender predators.

Similarly, the Chairman Osun Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu and the Former Chairman Comrade Kehinde Ayantunji appreciated Osun Nawoj for the initiative which they described as a good development.

The duo tasked the female journalists to ensure that they make judicial use of their roles as advocates for women and children, while they also called on the government to build on its protection policies that rejects violence against women and children in the state.

In their goodwill messages, Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme Commandantè EniIbukun Oyewole rtd, represented by his Director of Administration Mr B. P Fabode, along the General Manager of Osun Rural and Water Sanitation Agency RUWESA, Mr Ademola Ojo and the Chairperson of Osogbo South local development area Mrs Bola Jimoh highlighted the various intervention that their agencies have done towards ending open defecation and Gender Based violence in Osun.

The trio clamored to Osun residents who indulge in open defecation and gender based violence, to imbibe the culture of cleanliness by shunning filthiness, and to protect the women and girlchild against violence of any category respectively.

Earlier in her welcome address, the State Chairperson of Osun NAWOJ, Mrs Motunrayo Ayegbayo said that the women and children protection program was arrived at based on priority as women and children advocates, said that the support with the government and stakeholders will change the narrative of having a clean and healthy environment free of open defecation, as well as joining the campaign of ending violence against women in Osun.

Ayegbayo stated that the two-in-one program was necessary as the habit of open defecation and violence against women was threading high rate, says one of the ways to nip it into the bud is to intensify campaign against it and collaborate relevant authorities to make the campaign a success.

She frowned at the foul odour which emits from certain public spaces in Osogbo the state capital, said the city ought to be a model as state capital, and she appreciated Ifedayo local government for being open defecation free and for putting the state on a worthy history palate.

The Osun NAWOJ chairperson called on stakeholders to support the government and build functional public toilets across the state, added that some schools in Osun also need toilets, she tasked the school students not to copy archaic culture of defecation,bit to embrace good toilet habit and hygiene.

On ending sexual and gender based violence in Osun state, she used the medium to appreciate Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for assenting and domesticating the Violence Against Persons Prohibition VAPP law, through the office of the first lady, Mrs Kafayat Oyetola after ratification by the Osun House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Timothy Owoeye.

She frowned at every form of violence such as rape, female genital mutilation, child marriage, assault, economic violence, denial of education against girl child among others, she called on sex offenders and violence perpetrators to get out of Osun, as the law is set to protect women, girls, boys and men inclusive.