By Ruth Dery
Tema, Jan. 27, GNA – The closure of a public toilet that had helped to mitigate open defecation at Adjei Kojo in the Tema West Municipality, Greater Accra Region, has resulted in anxiety among residents, most of them unhappy.
A visit by the Ghana News Agency to the facility, situated a few meters from the Adjei Kojo Lorry Station, revealed that it had been closed for about six years now.
This has left community members questioning, with anger, why the facility has been left unattended to for years, with the people having no option but to walk for quite a distance to access private toilet facilities.
They have, therefore, called on the authorities to have a relook at the public toilet, correct the defects preventing its functioning, and ensure it was reopened without delay.
M Joseph Anloadey, a resident, admitted that the facility used to operate from time to time until it was reconstructed into an ultramodern one, but was closed down after about a month due to poor construction works and leakages.
“There were occasional leakages from the facility during the period it was operating. We reported the issue to the authorities because the manhole was getting filled with water,” he said.
Mr Anloadey said the situation forced some residents to walk for a distance to access private toilet facilities with higher fees.
“Those who could not afford that find other ways to attend to nature’s call. And your guess is as good as mine,” he told the GNA.
Mr Oliver Addison, another resident, said the reasons for the closure may be due to political inexpediency, where one administration constructs a facility and the other refused to continue with or manage the project.
He admitted that the facility was beneficial as it was closer to residents, centred at a vantage point, and convenient.
Mr Bright Gameli, who operates a shop around the facility, recounted how it was established to solve a dire need of residents in the community.
He appealed to the Tema West Municipal Assembly to ensure the facility was reconstructed and managed properly to enhance usage and environmental cleanliness.
GNA