By Tongnaan D. Bawa, Jos

The Plateau State Government has concluded arrangement to construct over one thousand public toilets across the state before the end of this year to curb the attitude of some residents who defecate indiscriminately in open places.

Making this known at the state first lady’s Mrs. Talatu Jang’s launching of the 2008 international day of sanitation held in Tabulung village in Kanke Local Government Area of the state, the state commissioner for water resources and rural development, Mr. Idi Ibrahim Waziri noted that a clean and healthy society would promote the economic growth of the state, hence the governments decision to construct the over 1,000 toilets across the state.

The commissioner assured donor agencies interested in partnering with the state government in any aspect not to have "any fear of diversion of money into individual pockets as the present administration is a prudent one," adding that "the days of diversion of state fund into individual pockets in the state is over."

Also speaking at the occasion, the wife of the state Governor, Mrs. Talatu Jang pledged to support her husband to accomplish his ten-point agenda for the development of the state.

She said that, her desire to support her husband in whatever way she could to deliver to the teeming citizens of the state the dividends of democracy was in the overall interest of the state.

Mrs. Jang noted that "clean water and sanitary condition does not only promote hygiene but the dignity of an individual, group and society at large," saying that was why she chose to embark on sensitizing the people on the importance of personal hygiene and having good latrines in their respective homes.

"We to want initiate policies and take action, we want to mobilize communities particularly women groups, school children and youths to change their poor sanitation and hygiene practices," she emphasized.

On her part, the minister of environment and housing development, Mrs. Halima Tayo represented by a senior medical officer from the ministry, Dr. Nse Akpan said poor environmental sanitation was one of the major challenges confronting the nation’s socio-economic development.

According to her, "many homes in the country don’t have access to good toilets thus people often defecate in open places which pave way for outbreak of diseases."

She then called on Nigerians to embibe good sanitary habits in order to improve their health conditions.