General News of Wednesday, 27 February 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Atta Akyea’s ‘flushing toilets’ comments irresponsible, insulting to Nima residents

Yussif Jajah, Member of Ayawaso North play videoYussif Jajah, Member of Ayawaso North

The Member of Ayawaso North, Yussif Jajah, has called on the Minister of Works and Housing to render an apology to the residents of ‘Nima’ over comments he made on the floor of Parliament Tuesday to suggest that they lack basic amenities such as flushing toilets.

According to him, Atta Akyea erred by making such insulting comments about the people of ‘Nima’ and he ought to render due apologies. The Minster, during sitting announced that slums in the capital including ‘Nima’ will soon get a face lift.

Adding that the government aims at constructing a world class residential apartment and also providing them with "flushing toilets" for the first time. Mr. Jajah who believes the comments were irresponsible demanded that the Minister withdraw and apologise to the people of Nima for even subtly suggesting that they live under very poor conditions.

He said “This is an insult to the people of Nima, for a whole minster to say that Nima is going to have “flushing toilet for the first time. For me it’s an insult for the people of Nima. We are calling on him to withdraw this statement because it’s highly incorrect and I can mention to him that most of the people in Nima have flushing toilets. Let me also mention to him that even some public toilets in Nima have water closets”

He added that even though the facelift is a good initiative for the people of Nima, his precise statement regarding the lack of water closets in Nima is awful and untrue.

During the State of the nation address Akufo-Addo hinted that there is draft plan to get rid of Nima as one of the oldest slums in the country.

The plan according to the president, “will not dislodge a single person in Nima” but will decently accommodate them in the new housing plan.

The President is hopeful that this massive housing project will create massive jobs for artisans, dealers in building materials and financial institutions across the nation.

He added that the government has allocated funds in “the 2019 budget for the construction of two hundred thousand (200,000) housing units, and a database