Asutifi North Assembly constructs community toilets to curb open defecation

The Asutifi North District Assembly, Brong-Ahafo Region, is constructing aqua-privy toilets for residents of Kensere and Kwadwo Adaekrom, cocoa growing communities in the District, to curb open defecation and control cholera and communicable diseases.

Construction works on the 16-seater aqua-privy toilet for the Kwadwo Adaekrom community, estimated at GHC156,388.00, and funded through the Assembly’s Mineral Development Fund, is progressing steadily.

The lack of toilets in the communities had resulted in open defecation, a situation which is exposing members of the community, especially school children, to health hazards and complications.

Though municipal and district assemblies (MDAs) in the Region are moving from construction of community toilets to promoting household toilets, Mr Anthony Mensah, the Asutifi North District Assembly, said the sanitation situation in the two towns were bad and needed to be resolved.

Mr Mensah, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency during a visit to the communities, said the two communities requested the Assembly to provide them the toilets and that an assessment needs was carried out after which construction began.

He stressed the Assembly determination to address the developmental needs of the communities based on their priorities and urged the people to also initiate “self-help” projects to attract support from the Assembly and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The visit was in line with a STAR Ghana funded project being implemented by the Sustainable Mission Aid (SMAid) an international NGO, and the Ghana Journalists Association, aimed at monitoring specific development projects being constructed by the Assembly to ensure their completion.

The project, being implemented within 18 months, further aimed at strengthening media and CSO collaboration for inclusive and accountable local governance in the country.

Nana Yaw Peprah, the Chief of Kwadwo Adaekrom, expressed appreciation to the Assembly for the intervention and appealed for Community Health-based Planning Services (CHPS) compound for the more than 1,000 residents and a teachers’ quarters for the local D/A primary school.

At the Kensere Community, works on the construction of the same project was about 95 per cent complete and the Assembly assured the facility would be handed over to the people next month.

Nana Kwame Asamoah II, the Chief of Kensere, praised the Assembly’s commitment towards developing the area and other deprived communities in the District.

Mr Gilbert Asante, the Programmes and Resource Mobilisation Coordinator of the SMAid, called on the Assembly to deepen its relationship with the local communities by actively engaging the people in decision making process.