Some residents affected by stalled Public Toilet Projects in New Juaben South Municipality of the Eastern Region are angry that the projects were captured in government infrastructure achievement.
The residents in Railway and Ada say their old toilet facilities were demolished in 2018 to pave way for new one scheduled to have been constructed within three months however the project has been abandoned for almost two years
The Vice President of Ghana Dr. Mahamud Bawumia during his recent presentation on infrastructure stated that data shows access to toilet facilities has increased from 14% in 2017 to 21% by 2019 due to huge investment by Government.
According to him, 1,900 toilet facilities were being constructed under the Government of Ghana Household Toilet program while 40,348 under the Rural Sanitation Model and Strategy program.
Some of these projects in New Juaben South revealed are the abandoned toilet facilities in Railways and Ada.
Angry residents say the situation is worrying fearing an outbreak of diseases as a result of an increase in open defecation by residents and traders who visit the market in the area.
“We don’t have any place to defecate before you go to Ogua or Mallam to attend to natures call then what will happen have happened. My worry is the old women and men in this Community”
“If I want to defecate I do throw away that is I defecate in a polythene bag and throw it away. We are told the government says the project is completed it is a lie we are suffering here” Residents lamented.
Ghana First Company Limited [GhFCL], a waste management firm owned by Mr. Frank Akulley, with its German partners signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with the Government of Ghana in 2018 through the Local Government Ministry and the Sanitation Ministry to construct 20,000 units of modern automated toilet facilities across all Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts across the country at cost of $300,000,000.
Subsequently, the company awarded the first batch of 2000 toilet facilities on contract across the country but the contractors abandoned the project including that of those in New Juaben South after the Company failed to pay them.
According to the Ghana First Contractors, the government absolved itself from the project when it backfired therefore shocked that it has been captured in the list of government infrastructure achievements.
“Almost 70% of the projects mentioned are all our projects. if you see any project titled ongoing modern 16 seaters, 20 seaters, or 14 seater or ongoing Ghana First Toilet all these projects are all our projects so we don’t understand why the Government will go and hide and then come back later to say the projects are his hence can’t pay us” Yaw Tawiah Dickson, Public Relations Officer of the aggrieved First Ghana Contractors Association stated.
Atiemo Listowel – General Secretary of the Association said they had developed a business plan to look for investors to take over the project as financial burdens continue to claim the lives of their members however appealing to the government to take full responsibility to pay them to enable the completion of the projects so that the over 1500 affected Communities across the country get proper places of convenience.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
