Prof. Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah Esq, addressing the gathering before commissioning the project
Professor John Ampontuah Kumah (Esq), Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu Constituency in the Ashanti Region, has built a 16-seater water closet toilet and borehole facilities for the people of Akyawkrom, a community in the locality.
The toilet facility which contains bathrooms, an office, and a bedroom was commissioned and handed over to the community at a brief but colourful ceremony recently. It was constructed with a biodigester.
All the facilities have been installed with an entrance technology which requires users to slot in a 50 pesewas coin before they can gain access to the facility.
“Users have to place a 50 pesewas coin for the green button to light before they can gain access. This is to check accountability and by the end of the day we will know how many people entered and the proceeds collected,” he disclosed.
According to the MP, 27 similar facilities which are also at various stages of completion will be handed over to some selected communities in the constituency before or early next year.
The Ejisu MP said that he conducted a research prior to the 2020 elections and found out that the key problem in the various communities were lack of decent public toilet facilities.
He expressed his confidence that the facility would go a long way to help eradicate open defecation in the area.
“With the provision of these facilities in the constituency, I believe they will help contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Goals (UN-SDGs); Goal Seven (7) that focuses on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” he stressed.
The MP used the opportunity to appeal to the beneficiary communities to maintain the facility to achieve its intended purpose.
Nana Kwaku Boakye Yiadom, the Akyemehene of Akyawkrom and Asennua, commended the lawmaker for fulfilling his promise to the people.
He beseeched the community members to own the projects, make good use of them, and also ensure their periodic maintenance.
Some of the residents who thronged the commissioning ceremony of the facilities praised the MP for the kind initiative and appealed for more.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi