Regional News of Monday, 5 February 2018

Source: mynewsgh.com

Residents turn public toilet facility into accommodation at Adenta

The occupants confessed they were aware the facility is meant to solve open defecation in the area The occupants confessed they were aware the facility is meant to solve open defecation in the area

A public toilet facility built for residents of Fafraha in the Adenta Municipality of Greater Accra region is now serving as accommodation for some individuals believed to have no place to live.

According to some residents, the government started the project some years ago but was not able to complete it for use after which some individuals have taken over the facility as a refuge. This they said compelled some of them to use the other means of defecation.

When mynewsgh.com visited the place, two families including a woman together with her children occupied the facility and were living a normal life.

According to the occupants, they are fully aware the place belongs to the government and was built to clampdown on open defecation in the area.

Narrating further, a 32-year-old woman with six children occupying one side of the facility said, some people were also using the facility before her arrival but they moved to a different location and she took over one portion of the place about five months ago.

They confirmed to mynewsgh.com that officials from Adenta municipal assembly came to inform them on two consecutive times to vacate the facility.

But the 32-year-old woman is pleading with the authorities to give her some time to put herself together.

” I will leave but I am putting up a kiosk and my money got finished. I am waiting for someone to send me some money, as soon as it comes, I will complete the kiosk and leave.

Ghana was recently ranked among the top 10 countries worldwide with the highest percentage of its population without decent toilets according to a report from international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), WaterAid.

Ghana has about 85.7 percent of its population without decent toilets and this equals 23 million people according to the report.

The government is aware of the problem and has indicated that it intends of constructing toilet facilities in various homes throughout the country as a proactive measure of addressing open defecation.