An open field, used for defecation by residents of Tulaku, a suburb of Ashaiman in Accra has been fenced by the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly to curb the menace.
This follows calls by the Media Coalition against Open Defecation, M-CODE on the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly to halt the practice, after the coalition visited the area in May this year, to assess the situation.
For now, it appears the only functional public toilet in the area is full and overflowing, which makes the attempt to permanently stop the practice, a difficult task.
However, Convenor for M-CODE Emmanuel Addai said his organisation does not exist only to name and shame communities practicing open defecation.
The Coalition, he said also names and praises communities that are checking open defecation.
He was speaking after M-CODE made a second visit to Tulaku, 6 months after the first visit, as part of World Toilet Day today. Radio Ghana’s Nathaniel Nartey joined the tour and has filed this special report.
This was the situation at Tulaku in Ashaiman when the Media Coalition against Open Defecation, M-CODE visited the area to assess the situation 6 months ago. The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly was forced to fence the open field after M-Code’s visit in May.
Officials of the Assembly touted some improvements in dealing with open defecation in Tulaku, a slum community notorious for open defecation.
At the time of M-CODE’s visit in May, the Assembly had prosecuted 13 open defecation offenders and achieved a coverage of 20 percent for its one household, one toilet project. Currently, 35 offenders have been prosecuted and its coverage for the one, household one toilet project now stands at55 per cent.
The Head of Liquid Waste at the Assembly, Abubakar Ziblim-Hudu said a “temporal toilet facility is being considered”.
This would pave way for the demolition of the current and only functional public toilet to construct a new one. Meanwhile, Checks at the public toilet show that it is full and overflowing.
A worker at the public toilet facility however, explained that the cesspit tank “is not full but rather, it may be chocked”.
Convenor for M-CODE Emmanuel Addai commended the Assembly for its efforts adding that more needs to be done in order to completely eradicate open defecation from the area
“As a coalition we don’t only name and shame authorities who are under performing, we also try to acknowledge the gains they make so we came to give them(ASHMA) a pat on the back and to encourage them to work harder because they are not yet there.”
Generally, Sanitation is a problem in Tulaku. Several gutters in and around the area are choked and attracting mosquitoes and other insects. Authorities will have to step up efforts at ensuring good hygiene in the area to prevent an outbreak on an epidemic.
Story by Nathaniel Nartey.
