GGhana First – a sanitation provider – is constructing 800 ultramodern toilets in schools, market places, lorry parks and deprived areas throughout the country.
The construction of the toilet facilities is to reduce the menace of open defecation, which poses health hazards to Ghanaians.
According to Ghana First, GCB Bank has expressed interest in the project, which is being executed in collaboration with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Last Monday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana First Company Limited, Frank Akuley, led a team of inspectors, including GCB Bank project managers, to inspect some of the projects at Nsawam Adoagyiri in the Eastern Region.
During the visit, the GCB Bank representatives engaged the contractors and engineers on the progress of work, timelines and quality control standards.
They also assessed the quality and uniqueness of the project, importance of the IT-related devices to control cash flow and the concept of pre-paid cards to minimize revenue leakages.
Briefing the journalists after the inspection, the CEO of Ghana First Company Limited, Frank Akuley, advised the contractors to speed up work and adhere strictly to construction requirements and specifications.
He urged them to complete their projects within the 90-day period stipulated in the contract.
Mr. Akuley said each facility, when completed, is expected to employ five people to run three shifts for 24 hours.
Mr. Akuley said recently when Ghana First officials met the contractors in Accra it emerged that none of the contractors had been able to complete 60 per cent of the projects in order to trigger payment per the contract.
Cholera Matters
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Nsawam, Isaac Buabeng, for his part, said Nsawam is cholera-prone and the presence of Ghana First’s ultramodern toilet facility would definitely reduce cholera and other related diseases, as well as open defecation.
He added that the traditional rulers had been cooperative in the release of lands for the project.
Mr. Buabeng said the assembly and Ghana First are collaborating to execute the project.
The project model is a turnkey type and the contractor shall be paid fully upon completion.
However, a contractor could be paid an equivalent amount upon completion of 60 per cent of the project.
The payment depends on the contractor’s strict adherence to the specifications and requirements on materials.