By Peter Uwumarogie

Malam Khalid Umar, a public convenience owner in Gombe State, says he has successfully built a house and currently earns over N150,000 monthly from operating his facilities in Gombe metropolis.

Umar, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Monday, said that the business had helped him to meet his family needs.

He said he had been operating public convenience business in the past 35 years and within the period, he had achieved a lot and invested the proceeds in other ventures to make more income.

According to him, he has eight toilet rooms and nine bathrooms at the Gombe main market.

He added that the business was his major source of income where he had been generating money to take care of his wife and eight children who are all attending schools.

He said “this business is good and has been my major source of income for years, as I have been able to build my personal house and attend to the needs of my family.

“I earn over N150,000 monthly and on daily basis, I make between N4,000 and N8,000 depending on the way the business turns out for the day.

“I thank God that people are patronising my facilities because when nature calls, no one can ignore it.”

Umar, who is the Chairman of Public Convenience Maintenance in Gombe State, said he was also able to further his education beyond secondary school to obtain a diploma in Islamic Affairs.

He said he had no regret venturing into the business, in spite of the discrimination he faced over the years, where people often accuse him of doing a job that they consider dirty.

He called on the state government and other stakeholders to invest in faecal waste management to improve public health, create jobs and wealth for youths of the state.

He also urged them to establish a Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) in the state to treat waste from over 85 public toilet facilities in Gombe metropolis.

“If the faecal sludge is well treated, the product can help to improve soil health and boost agriculture without resulting into health hazards,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu