The toilet facility
The Assembly Member for New Town electoral area in the Dormaa East District of Bono East Region, Hon. Agyei Da-Costa, has handed over a 20-seater water closet toilet facility to residents in his electoral area.
The New Town electoral area has been in dire need of toilet facility for so many years and this situation has been forcing residents to engage in open defecation.
Several appeals were made by the residents to successive governments to come to their aid but all these appeals did not materialize. But, today, under the leadership of this Assembly Member, the community's burden has been resolved.
The 20-seater water closet toilet facility has been divided into two for both males and females. There is space where toiletries and other stationery that would be used at the facility would be kept safely.
Apart from this toilet facility, the Assembly Member who is also a teacher at Dormaa Senior High School at Asuotiano, has drilled two boreholes for his electoral area, one being mechanised and the other, hand pump, to provide them with potable water.
Speaking to Daniel Kaku after the handing over ceremony, Da-Costa revealed why he built the toilet facility for his electorates.
He said the community was lacking designated place of convenience for so many years hence the construction of the facility.
"We lack toilet facilities in the town and people defecate anyhow in my electoral area. Not long ago, CDD Ghana in their assessment of Districts in B/A placed us 26 out of 27 Districts", he said.
"According to them, our failure was because of open defecation and security issues", he added.
He continued, that government alone cannot provide them with all their basic needs and as a concerned citizen of the area, he had to contribute his quota to the development of the area.
"I know government can't provide all our needs so as a citizen, I also have to do my part", he stated.
"Again, I normally ask myself what I can do so that people around me will also benefit from me", he added.
He, therefore seized the opportunity to urge residents to take proper care of the facility and regularly maintain it to last longer.
He also called on them to embrace good sanitation practices.
He said "Being healthy is the greatest thing to have as individuals and as a community. We must all develop the habit of routinely cleaning our schools, homes, workplaces and open places and we must properly dispose off the waste we generate".
On her part, the Queen mother for the area, Nana Adwoa Nketia (I), expressed profound gratitude to the Assembly Member for the unflinching support given to the community.
She therefore pledged her total commitment to taking good care of the facility to achieve its intended purpose.
She called on her people to live in peace and harmony and also pleaded with them to rally behind the Assembly Member to do more.
The Queen mother ended her speech by urging other Assembly Members to emulate the shining example of the Assembly Member.
The historical ceremony brought other Assembly Members from nearby electoral areas, chiefs, religious leaders to grace the occasion.
They included Nana Kwadwo Asamoah, Gyaasehene, the Chief Imam, Malam Ogyaba, the chief of northerners living in the area, Nana Kwabena Amoah, Hon. Prince K. Yeboah, Hon. Anthony Kwabena Oppong, Hon. Oppong Denis Kyeremeh, the media.
