La residents sensitised on GAMA project

Accra, Feb. 29, GNA - The residents of La in Accra, have been sensitised on 'Get a Decent Toilet at Half Price', being implemented by the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area-Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA-SWP).

The GAMA-SWP is providing improved water supply and toilet facilities at half price for households and schools in low income communities in the 11 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.

The project, under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is being sponsored by the World Bank with a grant of 150 million dollars.

It was aimed at preventing open defecation and diseases such as cholera.

Alhaji Haruna Salam, the La Municipal Coordinating Director at a forum at the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) told the people that it was an opportune time for them to own a household toilet through the half price project to save money.

He said the first thing landlords should have in mind when putting up a house is a toilet facility and cautioned those who were converting theirs into rooms to stop.

He expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for nominating Madam Gladys Mann Dedey to become the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for LaDMA.

Alhaji Salam appealed to the assembly members to give the nominee whom he described as 'our own,' a resounding vote during her election to become the MCE to enable her to advance the progress of the area.

Nii Anyetei Anokware Nsuro I, the Abesse Adoten Dzaasetse of La in Accra said: 'Ghana being rated 7th in open defaecation in the world and 2nd in Africa while La becoming first as cholera plague community in the country some years back did not speak well of us as humans and therefore we should endeavour to make it a thing of the past.'

He called for the establishment of sanitation brigade whose members would go round the communities to take pictures of insanitary scenes with their smart phones and send them to the assembly for offenders to be summon.

He said fines that might be accrued from the summons part could be paid to the reporter and by so doing they would be creating jobs and worth for themselves as well as helping to keep the environment safe.

Mr Ignatius Dordoe, the Planning Officer of LaDMA took participants through the components of the GAMA project and so far 43 of the toilets had been completed in households while 16 schools projects were ongoing at La. GNA