The Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency, PEPSA, has given households in Jos South Local Government Area seven days to provide functional toilet facilities or face prosecution.
The agency said the move followed sustained engagements, public education and support provided to households under the SURWASH Programme to improve sanitation compliance across affected communities.
PEPSA Director General, Mr. Samuel Nathaniel Dapiya, said the agency had made several efforts to help households meet sanitation requirements before resorting to enforcement.
According to him, PEPSA engaged communities and household representatives, educated residents on the importance of proper toilet facilities and advocated household-led provision of toilets.
The agency also supported vulnerable households by constructing new toilet facilities and upgrading existing ones where the need was identified.
Despite these interventions, Dapiya said some households still lacked functional toilets, prompting the agency to commence the service of abatement notices.
He said the notices give affected households seven days from the date of service to provide functional toilet facilities and comply with applicable sanitation requirements.
Dapiya warned that prosecution would commence against households that remain non-compliant after the expiration of the notice period.
He stated: “PEPSA has engaged, educated, advocated and provided support where necessary. The next step is enforcement.”
The Director General urged affected households to use the final compliance period to take immediate action, stressing that the agency would enforce sanitation standards in accordance with the law.
He added: “Every household MUST have a functional toilet. Compliance is no longer optional.”
