DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF CROSS RIVER STATE, FLAGS OFF THE CLEAN NIGERIA AND NATIONAL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME.

The use the the toilet campaign and launch of the National youth empowerment program has been flaged off by the state deputy Governor, prof. Ivara Esu with the attendance of the director general of ruwatsaa, c.r.s comissioner for water resources, state and national dignitaries, health officers, local Government chairmen and residents of bogobiri.

In his opening address, the director general of ruwatsaa, sir Ita Ikpeme educated the bogobiri community in Calabar on the need for abstinence from open defecation by providing toilets in their individual homes and business premises, iterating that open defecation leads to the transmission of diseases through air and insects which petches on the excreta and moves to our bodies and food thereby conteminating them and making them poisonous to our health.

The commissioner for water resources, Obol Goddy Ettah, identified that bogobiri is a food selling and consumption arena for cross riverians and as such the national identity of cross river state for being the first open defecation state in Nigeria with obanliku l.g.a being the lead should be maintained, with an extension of open defecation abstinence also imbibed in bogobiri to save cross riverians who patronize food vendors at bogobiri from consuming contaminated food, stating that the Governor, senator(prof) Ben Ayade is working hard to ensure cross river maintains it's leading position of being open defecation free and further appealed to the people of bogobiri to be part of the struggle for a clean and safe cross river state.

The minister for water resources who was represented by mrs. Jumaisi Akpa, said that Nigeria ranks the first position in the world to be open defecation free and the federal Government have not relented their effort in maintaining that magnificent position, revealing that an order 009 has been enacted by president muhamadu Buhari to stop open defecation as Nigeria is a country of dignified people.

At dannic hotel, the D.G of ruwatsaa, sir. Ita Ikpeme addressed the attendees by appreciating them for their efforts of participation in the use the toilet campaign and launch of the National youth empowerment programme, while he implored the local Government chairmen, health workers, sanitary officers and the general public to be proactive In ensuring the use of toilets in their communities and individual homes, to aid in promoting the efforts of Government in achieving a clean and healthy state, speaking that his agency has drilled over three thousand electrically and solar powered boreholes in all communities in the eighteen local Government area's of cross river state, all In the efforts of senator(prof) Ben Ayade to maintain the hospitable nature of the state.

The deputy Governor of the state, prof. Ivara Esu appreciated all those who participated in the clean up Nigeria programme and urged them to do all they can to achieve a clean and safe cross river state.

The deputy Governor charged local Government chairmen to develop kin interest in the development of the open defecation free programme and institute it in their different l.g.a's with the cleaning of their local Government area's from the road to the interior communities as part of their support to Government in achieving a top ranking open defecation free state and country.

The deputy Governor branded all local Government chairmen as ambassadors of the open defecation free Nigeria and admonished them to take responsibility of achieving an open defecation free cross river state.