The Mion District of Northern Region in collaboration with the District Field Facilitating Team and other stakeholders have helped to reduce open defecation in the district.

The collaborators include; traditional authorities and opinion leaders in the district.

Mr Abdulai Abukari, the Mion District Environmental officer announced this during Town Hall Meeting organised by Justice and Peace Committee of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Sang in the Northern Region in collaboration with the Catholic Diocesan Justice and Peace Council, with support from the Mion District Assembly and KONRAD ADENAUGR STIFTUNG of Germany.

Participants were made up of chiefs, Youth groups, Opinion leaders, Assembly members, Environmental officers, Heads of Department among others.

Mr Abukari said the Assembly and UNICEF were carrying out a programme on Social Sanitation Fund to support the aged.

He indicated that there was also Sanitation Revolving Fund for construction of latrines for household as loans for repayment aimed at eradicating open defecation by December 2019 in the District.

He said the Assembly through the efforts of the District Chief Executive bought two motorbikes to the District Environment Unit for the programe. He said the District had a population of 81,812 with 20 Electoral Areas, three Area Councils made up of Sang, Jimle and Kpabya.

In his welcoming address Fr Isidore Aacyan, Parish Priest of Sang called on them to work hard in practising good governance to move the district forward by sharing information gathered with their community members.

He said the entire meeting was centred on environmental sanitation and security.

Mr Peter Atia, Diocesan Justice and Peace Coordinator said the Bishop Conference mandated the National Catholic Justice and Peace Commission to organise town hall meetings in selected districts around the country.

Mr Atia announced that in Yendi Catholic Diocese, seven districts were selected including; Sang on the theme: “Community Participation in Local Governance for Rapid and sustainable Development.”

He said a town hall meeting like this will help the people come closer to the Assembly and that will enhance good governance, accountability and may eradicate corruption.

Sgt Effah Enoch, Mion Sector Police Commander said the major security problem facing the District was stray cattle that were destroying farms and cybercrimes.

He appealed to parents, chiefs, opinion leaders to help them eradicate cybercrime in the district.