Stories from Isaac Akwetey Okunor
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Manya Krobo Assembly in the Eastern Region, Joseph Tetteh Angmor, has expressed grave concern over the position of residents of Akateng, a farming community in the district, to choose open defecation over a multi-constructed Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit (KVIP).
“Indeed, a worrying situation in Akateng here is the refusal of many of the people to patronise a KVIP toilet facility that the Assembly spent so much money to build. My information is that most of the people prefer open defecation around water bodies than using the KVIP toilet,” the worried DCE asserted.
Interestingly, the district is predominantly rural, with its inhabitants being mainly farmers and fishermen who have not been fortunate to gain access to modern infrastructural and social amenities, which has impacted adversely on their living standards.
Most worrying of the unthinkable position was the fact that the residents, for a long time now, have been dependent on the same Volta Lake, into which they defecate, as their source of drinking water.
Joseph Angmor made the disclosure at Akateng last Thursday, during the commissioning of a water purification facility, which was constructed by Safe Water Network, a non-governmental organization (NGO).
Speaking at the programme, the Upper Manya Krobo DCE said, education on the necessity of washing one’s hands well with soap, refraining from throwing rubbish around, and desisting from defecating anywhere in the town, would go a long way to change the attitudes of the people.
On the project, Joseph Angmor intimated that potable drinking water for the community could not be overemphasized, and that they would forever be grateful to Safe Water Network for providing them with such an important facility.
According to the DCE, it was government’s responsibility to cater for the provision of infrastructure facilities and other social amenities to all its citizenry, hence the initiation and completion of several projects over the last four years.
He continued that despite the responsibilities of the government to its citizenry, the development of the country was a shared responsibility, hence, it would not be out of place for the concept of public private partnership.
The Upper Manya Krobo DCE contended that despite the fact that the district was only five years old, and with limited resources, it had dispense its socio-economic duties excellently, with the support of some NGOs such as Plan Ghana and Hunger Project.
Notwithstanding these, the DCE averred that the district would not shirk its responsibilities towards the development of its communities, but would continue to provide for its people, their needs and wants, with close collaboration with its social partners.
He took opportunity of the occasion to throw more light on the development drive of the Assembly over the last four years.
According to him, unlike other well-established assemblies, the Upper Manya Assembly was only five years old and with very little resources at its disposal, but with prudent management and support from social partners, the Assembly had chalked many developmental successes.
Some of the projects he mentioned include the repair of broken down boreholes in communities such as Fefe Muanu, Sisiamang Pletsi Dornya, Aframse Korlenya,Aramase Susu, Sekesua Bormase, Mensah Dawa and Ternuanya at a cost of GH¢6,000 Ghana.
Others include the completion and extension of water from the Asesewa small town water system to the growing Asesewa Township at a cost of GH¢79,000.