The chiefs have also committed to advocate and lobby for the introduction of "SAMA SAMA" (sanitation police) in the two Assemblies to educate residents on best sanitation practices as well as arrest those that practise open defecation.

They made the commitment at a town hall meeting held in Tamale by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with Hope for Future Generation, and five tamale-based radio stations to dialogue and come out with action points on open defecation and poor sanitation practices at both Assemblies.

The town hall meeting brought together representatives of the two Assemblies, Coalition of NGO's in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Chiefs, women groups, youth groups, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), amongst other key stakeholders.

The two Assemblies over the past three years have been on the bottom of the League Table on open defecation in the Northern Region, hence the town hall meeting for the Chiefs and their people to make commitments and offer their unflinching support for the implementation of by-laws on open defecation and poor sanitation in the area.

It was stated on a number of platforms that some chiefs demanded the release of people, who practised open defecation hence the commitment by the chiefs not to intervene when such persons were arrested.

Choggu Kpanalana, Adam Abdulai, a sub-chief of Choggu, a suburb of Sagnarigu, who was amongst the Chiefs, who spoke said a by-law would be initiated to apportion plots of land to households, whose responsibility would be to ensure that such plots were clean at all times.

He said the households would be expected to report persons, who defecated in their areas to be appropriately sanctioned.

Some CSO representatives said pleading with community members to stop open defecation had proven ineffective calling for enforcement of by-laws at all levels and institution of fines on perpetrators because when people paid for their crimes, they would end the practice.

Other participants called for well-organised information on open defecation and poor sanitation practices as well as effectively educate the public on by-laws to be implemented by the Assemblies to help address the menace.

They also suggested showing pictures of people, who practised open defecation on vans that would embark on the education of the public to deter people, and to indicate that they would experience similar things if they practised it."

Meanwhile, the MFWA will follow up with the various stakeholders on their commitments and recommendations to monitor their implementation as well as how to engage other stakeholders to address the menace.