The Member of Parliament for the Yilo Krobo constituency in the Eastern Region, Albert Tetteh Nyarkotey, has urged homeowners and households in his constituency without proper sanitary facilities to put resources together and construct neat and proper places of convenience.
According to the MP, the lack of proper sanitary facilities in some deprived communities in his constituency is a major challenge and a burden to him, as this gives room for some residents to practice open defecation.
According to the Assembly Member, this has become evident as some community members at Plau, a suburb of Somanya, have started practicing open defecation due to the dilapidated nature of the public toilet which has developed deep cracks, and it’s on the verge of collapse.
In an interview with Citi News on the sidelines of a sod-cutting for the construction of a toilet facility to replace the old one at Plau, Albert Nyarkotey indicated that he’s ready to implement a model that will help households get their own toilet facilities at a subsidized cost.
“I want to appeal to those who can afford the construction of their own place of convenience to just have a small space and have a toilet for each house. Every community or a few houses can come together and have one. I am looking at a model that can give about ten houses a low-cost small toilet, and if it’s a good model that does not cost much, I will start implementing it in the upper part of Yilo Krobo”.
“This structure is being put up with my initial funding since the common fund has not been allocated. This facility is a result of a good gesture to the people of Plau for the support they gave me to represent them in Parliament. Their woes are many, but I’m devoted and committed to changing the fortunes of every community within my constituency, and I will need the support of everyone to do this.”
The Assembly Member for Plau Electoral Area, Raymond Tetteh, who spoke to Citi News expressed satisfaction with the gesture from the MP.
“Before I was given the nod to go to the assembly, this particular public structure was a major problem for residents here. The structure is very old and has developed deep cracks, so because of the nature of the cracks some people have stopped using it for the fear of it collapsing on them. I must say this has contributed to others practicing open defecation”.
“The unbearable smell that emanates from the old facility is something that is affecting the health of residents here. So today, we are all happy our MP is beginning the construction of a new facility here. We will continue to support him and pray that the structure is completed by the contractor in due course to lift that burden off community members”.