General News of Wednesday, 20 February 2019

Source: Daniel Kaku

Government to construct more toilet facilities in Ghana to ease open defecation - Tourism Minister

Catherine  Abelema Afeku, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Catherine Abelema Afeku, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture

Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency, Mrs. Catherine Afeku has given a strong indication of government's preparedness to construct more toilet facilities among coastal communities across the country to ease open defecation.

The move, she noted, will help to boost domestic tourism and earn more foreign exchange for the nation.

Mrs. Afeku who doubles as the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, was speaking during the commissioning of a-12-seater water closet toilet facility for the people of Bankyim, a suburb of Axim in the Nzema-East Municipality.

The facility, has a well-furnished office, toiletries and other stationery to keep it safely.

She bemoaned how the community had been in dire need of toilet facilities for over three decades.

The Tourism Minister said as one of the best tourist sites in the country, it was incumbent upon people in the community to keep the environment clean to attract more tourists to the area.

On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Nzema-East, Mr. Frank Okpenyen thanked the MP for the project and asked the residents to pay for using the facility in order to provide more of such facilities in other communities.

He advised the people to maintain sound hygienic practices and keep their natural surroundings clean to stem the outbreak of fatal diseases such as cholera, dysentery along the coast.

The Regent of Bankyim, Tufuhene Francis Cudjoe, who revealed that the community had lacked toilet facility for good 32 years, poured his heart out for Madam Afeku for being sensitive to their plight.

He promised to ensure that the project is maintained to prolong its life span.