AMA to Abrogate Contracts

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has endorsed the recommendations submitted to it by the Special Committee on AMA Public Toilets, to abrogate the contracts of all private contractors of AMA public toilets with immediate effect and give the management and control of the toilets to the Sub-Metros while arrangements are made to re-award the contracts under new terms.

The committee, which was inaugurated in June 2002, visited all the public toilets in Ayawaso, Okaikoi and Osu Klottey Sub-Metros. The committee could not visit the remaining three before its term of office ended in August. In the course of its work the committee found that an amount of ?116,500,000 belonging to AMA has so far been misappropriated by private contractors.

In a report presented for approval at the First Special Meeting of the Third Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the committee recommended that fresh headcounts should be conducted on all existing AMA public toilets to help in determining the appropriate rates to be paid to Sub-Metros and that proper records of revenue accruing from the public toilets should be kept by the private managers and the Sub-Metros to facilitate periodic auditing.

The committee further recommended that no one company should be allowed to manage more than one toilet at a time. A "One Company-One Toilet" arrangement would form the basis of future agreements. AMA, the committee said, should sign appropriate contract agreements with managers of public toilets. All existing agreements should be reviewed to conform to a standard form where necessary.

The committee said all current and future takeovers should be reported to AMA Head Office through the Sub-Metros for the appropriate legal action to be taken in order to retrieve revenue that has been misappropriated. The recommendations also asked the assembly to sanction any member found to be involved in the illegal takeover of toilets as noted in most of the communities visited by the committee.

The committee was set up by the Presiding Member, Mr. Ben Anann during the Second Assembly to investigate the numerous complaints received from the general public and Sub-Metros that many of AMA's public toilets were in a deplorable condition and allegations of illegal takeovers by some unauthorized persons who are misappropriating the revenue accruing from their operation.

Mr. Anann said in an interview that the committee was mandated to obtain records on the state of affairs and management of all public toilets in the metropolis and present recommendations for their efficient management and modernization. He said in addition to this, the committee was asked to identify the toilets that have court cases and take the necessary steps to have such cases settled.

In pursuing the allegations of corruption leveled against the private contractors by the public and Sub-Metros, Mr. Anann said, the committee's terms of reference included the identification and retrieving of arrears owed to AMA by both past and present contractors. Members of the committee were also tasked to obtain records of public toilets built on private properties and operated privately.

Mr. Anann said the proper management of the public toilets in the metropolis has been one of AMA's headaches. "Its negative effect has been felt very much on the finances of the Sub-Metros. It is therefore strongly advised that any action being taken to solve this problem should be expedited."