The Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly(EKMA) has given 120 house Owners within the Assembly 6 months Ultimatum to construct toilet facilities in their homes or face the Assemblies bye-laws.
This was revealed in an interview on Spice FM, where the Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer at the Effia Kwesimintism Metropolitan Assembly, EKMA, Mr. Samuel Kojo Agyarko advised house owners to get toilet facility constructed in their respective homes.
In line with the Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation, it is important to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, therefore the need for the Assembly to ensure that every home gets access to portable toilet facility.
The United Nations has set aside November 19 as a day to commemorate World Toilet Day. This is to raise awareness of the 3.6billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation. The day was celebrated under the theme,” Valuing Toilet.”
Mr. Agyarko said, the ultimatum comes after his outfit embarked on inspection to some vicinities to clamp down on households who do not have toilet facilities in their homes. The exercise, he said, is to last until next year to make sure residents have access to toilet facilities to reduce open defecation.
He reckoned that vicinities such as EffiaKuma, Kwesimintsim Zongo, Assakae, and Whindo only have access to public toilets in their communities.
Mr. Agyarko mentioned that, house owners who flout the laws would be prosecuted. He also estimated that about 30 – 35% of households in the district do not have access to toilet facilities in their homes.
In Ghana, one out of ten households do not have a toilet facility.
The issue of open defecation has also been on the increase since people do not have access to toilet facilities.
