School authorities and community on collision over toilet

The school authorities of Nkwanta near Juaso in the Asante-Akim South District, are heading on a collision course with the community, over the use of washrooms built for the pupils and their teachers.

Lack of a public toilet has forced the population to virtually seize the school’s facility – a situation that is putting a lot of pressure on it and has become an irritant and a huge discomfort.

Various measures employed by the teachers, including putting locks on the doors to deny the public access to the place, have not worked, as some of the people would always come to destroy the locks.

Mr John Yara, the assembly member, conceded that what is happening there is shameful and embarrassing, more so when the town is located just four kilometres away from the district capital.

He confirmed to a team of reporters of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that, the development is a breach of the Ghana Education Service (GES) regulation.

The journalists were in the community under STAR-Ghana’s-assisted media auditing and tracking of development projects in the district, to shine a spotlight on how government resources are impacting on the lives of the people.

The goal is to promote transparency and accountability in local governance.

Mr Yaro said only about 20 per cent of households in the community have toilets and, therefore, stressed the urgent need for a decent public facility.

The refreshing news is that the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Kwaku Asamoah Boateng, has offered to provide one for the people through his share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

He has already made available 50 bags of cement towards the start of the project.