Refugee camp puts pressure on social amenities - Chief

March 28, 2011 Ampain (W/R), March 28, GNA - The influx of refugees to the Ampain Refugee Camp in the Western Region has createdan untoward pressure on the few social amenities in the town, Nana Nyamekeyfofoleh II, the chief of Ampain, has said.

He said the community had only two bore holes, one hand dug well, one public place of convenience and a few other social amenities.

In this regard, he said, the citing of the refugee camp at Ampain in the Ellembelle District had put pressure on them thereby creating inconveniences for residents.

Nana Nyamekeyfofoleh told the GNA in an interview on Monday that long queues of people struggling to ease themselves in the morning could be seen at the community public place of convenience while some also struggled to fetch waterfrom the wells.

At the moment, he said, one of the community wells is not functioning thereby resulting in inadequate supply of potable water to the refugee camp and the entire community.

He, therefore, appealed to the government to construct more places of convenience, bore holes and wells in addition to providing more security lighting system along the road leading to the refugee camp to avert any crime in the area.

He observed that some of the refugees were prominent people and professionals such as nurses, teachers, business tycoons and engineers. There were also pregnant and lactating mothers, therefore, they needed enough facilities to make the camp more comfortable.

He also called for construction of community centres to serve as entertainment centres for the asylum seekers.

He observed that some of the young ladies among the refugees dressed provocatively and that could attract men to them for sexually favours.

The District Health Directorate and Ghana AIDS Commission have, however, undertaken community durbars to educate the refugees on how to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections.

Nana Nyamekeyfofoleh expressed satisfaction that the influx of asylum seekers in his town had improved sales for food stuffs and other farm produce in the area.

He noted that some women had been cooking local dishes and they were being patronized by the refugees, thus boosting the local economy of the town significantly.

The Chief of the town, therefore, admonished politicians and the youth in particular to learn lessons from the political upheavals in Cote d'Ivoire so that the country would not plunge into any civil conflict after the 2012 general election.

"There is no other peaceful place in the sub-region that could accommodate us so let the tranquillity and harmony that we are currently enjoying in the country be sustained," he stated

When the GNA contacted the Regional National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) head, Mr Japheth Baidoo, he pledged to make available some of the facilities the chief had requested for in due course.

He added that at the moment about 1000 refugees were at the Ampain Camp, while 900 were at the Elubo Refugee Reception Centre in the Jomoro District.

GNA