Metropolitan Chief Executive for Tamale, Iddrisu Musah Superior, has come under heavy criticism from some traders and other users of the Tamale Market for converting a toilet facility which was 80% complete into stores for businesses.
The Mayor, who justified his action to Metro TV News, stated that the conversion was upon the advice of environmental and technical officers of the region and metropolis.
But these officers have categorically denied ever advising the Mayor to convert the toilet facility into stores for businesses according to a report sighted by MyNewsGh.com
The Northern Regional Environmental Officer, Sulemana Yakubu, for instance, has denied ever having any knowledge of the conversion of the facility to market stores.
In the words of the Tamale Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, while denying ever advising the mayor to do the controversial conversion, stated that having a place of convenience within a market is a key requirement that must not be overlooked.
“From the point of view of environmental standards and public safety as well as public health practice, for every public building, it is a requirement…People leave their homes or where they work and occupy. So there must be places of convenience for them…And so it is a requirement that public places including markets, hospitals and schools and offices even commercial areas should have washrooms. So I am not privy to this information [the conversion of the toilet facility into stores for businesses]” he explained to Metro TV News.
Meanwhile, traders and other users of the Tamale Market are calling for the provision of toilet facility for the market to ease the burden of having access places of convenience.