By Isaac Newton Tetteh
Ashaiman, Aug. 1, GNA – Mr Albert Boakye Okyere, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA), has commissioned a newly refurbished 20-seater toilet facility for the main Ashaiman lorry loading terminal.
The 20-seater toilet facility included 11 urinal cubicles and 16 market shops, constructed at an estimated cost of GHS 1.6 million, under a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement between Ashaiman Municipal Assembly and Djawara Company Limited in Ashaiman.
Addressing the media after a short event to hand over the facility for use, Mr. Okyere stated that private entities could always partner with governmental institutions for developmental projects.
He explained that government agencies such as the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) were often cash-strapped and could not initiate or complete existing projects.
Mr. Okyere noted that the agreement between Djawara Company Limited took the form of Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT), adding that the Municipal Assembly will reclaim the facility after 20 years.
According to the MCE, the facility would now serve its purpose as opposed to earlier, when it used to be a death trap, creating an unnecessary nuisance within the terminal.
Mr Okyere said the refurbished facility, when put to effective use, would improve sanitation and proper environmental hygiene at the lorry loading terminal.
He called on the managers to inculcate a maintenance culture to ensure the facility served the purpose for which it was built.
Alhaji Yakubu Idrisu, contractor for Djawara Company Limited, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the facility was completed even ahead of schedule, taking into consideration the inconveniences people go through daily when nature calls.
Alhaji Idrisu hinted that the facility had met the needed specifications and was fit for purpose, stressing that all documentation had been completed to ensure both parties did not breach the terms and conditions of the partnership agreement should there be a change in administration.
GNA