Residents in some beneficiary communities of the Ghana First Toilets project in the Bolgatanga Municipality have resorted to defecating in the uncompleted abandoned structures.
They say they find it difficult to do the deed in the open as their old toilets’ structures were pulled down for the construction of the new ultramodern Ghana First toilets. Residents thus resort to the uncompleted ones.
It could be recalled that in 2018, Ghana First Company Limited (GhFCL), a waste management firm owned by Mr Frank Akulley, with his German partners signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with the Government of Ghana through the Local Government Ministry and the Sanitation Ministry to construct 20,000 units of modern automated toilet facilities across all Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts in the country at the cost of $300,000,000. In lieu of that, the company that same year awarded the first batch of 2000 toilet facilities to contractors for a working duration of three months.
But a visit to some of the projects in the Bolgatanga Municipality by Moses Apiah, a reporter with A1 Radio, indicates that the projects which were at various levels of completion have been abandoned.
Some of the beneficiary residents who spoke to the Reporter noted that the unfortunate incident has caused them to resort to defecating on the uncompleted structures as they do not have available toilet facilities.
According to them, the contractors came to pull down the old structures in an attempt to replace them with the new ultra-modern toilet facilities within three months, but that never came to light.
A resident said, “…what do you want us to do; should we be easing ourselves in our rooms? Master, the only way we can free ourselves is by using the same structures they pulled down and built for us. They are not completed yet we will make use of them like that.”
Another resident indicated that they will continue to use the uncompleted structures until the authorities in charge came to resolve the challenge.
Commenting on the project, the Assembly Member of the Gumbisi Zongo electoral area in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Yussif Fuseini, whose area has benefited from two such toilets explained that the project at its initial stage was doubtful.
“At the initial stage, I and my people were doubting whether it was possible for the contractors to build these facilities within three months as it was proposed. The then, Municipal Chief Executive, Joseph Amiyuure Atura and the contractors agreed and even asked for the pulling down of the old structures. But now as we speak, access to toilet facilities in my electoral area is difficult. I must say that open defecation is high here because no place for people to free themselves.”
Though the then, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Joseph Amiyuure Atura when contacted on the phone failed to give details, the current MCE, Rex Asanga however indicated that the matter has been taken on at the Assembly level and will make sure residents that are affected by such project will have better convenience places when necessary.
In the Upper East Region, 5 of such toilets were at various levels of completion with a “CERTIFIED INTERIM PAYMENT CERTIFICATE” of GHC782,095.30, according to the First Contractors Association of Ghana, a mother union of contractors in the country.
But speaking on Daybreak Upper East show on A1 Radio, the spokesperson and Deputy Secretary of Contractors of Ghana First Company, Listowel Atiemo stated that, as of 4th June 2020, about two Hundred (200) of their members abrogated their contracts with the Ghana First Company Limited.
According to him, the company never paid them a dime after contractors invested huge resources in the project.
“We want to place on record that Ghana First Company Limited has not paid a dime in the construction of these projects apart from the earlier contractors who were paid monies accruing from the 2% commission which is our own money.”
He added that in June 2020, through a Press Statement, copied to various Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies informed the public about the abrogation of their contracts with the company.
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