OSOGBO – The Osun Government has trained natural leaders on Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS).
Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, the wife of Gov Rauf Aregbesola, who declared the training open in Osogbo as a CLTS ambassador, said the training was aimed at sensitising natural leaders in the 100 triggered communities across the state.
She reaffirmed her commitment towards using her position to ensure positive engagement of the natural leaders.
Aregbesola said the identified natural leaders in Osun would be empowered intellectually to motivate others in their immediate environment to embrace cleanliness as a way of life.
The CLTS ambassador observed that people living in a clean environment were bound to be healthy, stressing that only healthy y people that can be productive.
‘’The productivity of the citizens will go a long way in determining the economic growth of any defined area; this is why we are making it a priority to spread the news of total sanitation.
‘’Everything that we desire in life is to enhance healthy and happy life and the most basic point to start is at the level of cleanliness,” Aregbesola said.
She said, total sanitation involved attitudinal change “that will not only stop open defecation, but also ensure that we all use hygienic toilets, wash our hands with soap after using toilet”.
“This change of attitude also includes washing hands before preparing food and eating, after nappy changes for babies and after work, among others’’.
In his address, Mr Posi Adiatu, the Director of Rural Water and Environmental Sanitation Agency (RUWESA) in the state, said that it was necessary to sensitise people in various communities on sanitation.
Adiatu thanked the government for making the health of the people a priority and urged participants to be attentive as they were expected to return to impact positively in their various communities.
Mrs Sarah Adeoti, one of the participants, said: “it is an eye opener for most of us, as some of our communities are yet to know the dangers in open defecation.
“I know with this training, we will be able to sensitise members of the community on the advantages of having toilets instead of polluting the environment.”
Another participant, Mr. Kolade Adisa said: “there is nothing like self-realization, once a community realises that it is necessary to have toilets instead of defecating around which will increase the risk of having diseases.” (NAN)
