KAKASUNANKA ABANDONS TOILET (PAGE 47)

A fully completed six-seater modern toilet facility has been abandoned for the past four years at Kakasunanka near Tema because it is said to be sitting on a main waterline from the Kpong Water Works that serves communities in Tema and Accra.
The toilet has now become an attraction as one approaches the Michel Camp barracks on the way from the Afienya toll booth end, standing tall in overgrown bushes with the ‘closed down’ sign showing glaringly.
Ironically, another water closet facility that is near completion and supposed to replace the abandoned one has also been left to the wrath of the weather because, according to the contractor, the Tema Metropolitan Assembly owed him an undisclosed amount for work done.
When the Assembly Member for the Kakasunanka Electoral Area Mr Samuelson Alenge, was contacted, he confirmed that the Assembly initiated the project for the area but later realised it was a health hazard.
He said it was noted that in case of any leakage the treated water passing through the line could be contaminated with affluent from the facility.
Mr Alenge could not confirm or deny if there was a survey and site analysis before the structure was put up but said it was unfortunate that such a situation had come up.
He was also not happy that work on the new one to replace it had also been abandoned because of the indebtedness of the Assembly to the contractor.
When asked what facility served the people in the absence of the two facilities, Mr Alenge said the absence of a public facility had created an unsanitary condition because people attended to the call of nature anywhere in the bush around.
He said some opinion leaders and the youth in the area made up of nine communities had decided to protest against the Assembly and the contractor to relieve them of their predicament.
Mr Alenge said his call for action to be taken on the project had not yielded any result as the structure continued to be abandoned in the bush while the new one was yet to be fitted with certain accessories.
He disclosed that the Assembly had plans to convert the abandoned completed structure that could not be used as a toilet facility into a revenue office to collect tolls for the Assembly.
Some members of the community who the Daily Graphic spoke to were not happy about the situation and appealed to the authorities to go to their aid to complete the new one for their use.
A source at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly confirmed that the projects had been abandoned but could not tell when work would start to complete the new one because of lack of funds.