By SN24.com 
By Peter Akpah.
The Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency, PEPSA, has commenced the service of final abatement notices to households in Jos South Local Government Area that are yet to provide functional toilet facilities.
The enforcement action is being carried out under the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, SURWASH, Programme.
*M”We Have Engaged, Educated and Supported” — PEPSA
According to a press statement signed by the Director General of the Agency, Samuel Nathaniel Dapiya, PEPSA has over the months made sustained efforts to achieve compliance through community and household engagements, public education on the importance of having and using proper toilets, advocacy for household-led provision, and meetings with community leaders and household representatives.
As part of its intervention, the Agency also provided direct support to vulnerable households identified as unable to provide facilities on their own, by constructing new toilets and upgrading existing ones.
_“These interventions have been part of a deliberate effort to give households the opportunity, information and support required to comply with sanitation standards. However, despite these engagements and interventions, some households still do not have functional toilet facilities,”_ Dapiya stated.
7 Days to Comply or Face Prosecution
The Agency said it has now reached the final stage of the compliance process.
The abatement notices being served give affected households *seven days from the date of service* to provide a functional toilet and comply with applicable sanitation requirements.
_“At the expiration of the seven-day period, prosecution will commence against households that remain non-compliant, in accordance with the law,”_ the statement warned.
PEPSA is calling on every household yet to provide a functional toilet to use the grace period to take immediate action.
_“PEPSA has engaged, educated, advocated and provided support where necessary. The next step is enforcement. Following the expiration of the notice period, the Agency will enforce the sanitation standards required across the affected communities in accordance with the law.”_
The DG stressed: _“Every household MUST have a functional toilet. Compliance is no longer optional.”_
*Signed:*
*Samuel Nathaniel Dapiya*
Director General,
Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency, PEPSA.