Tema Children’s Park now open defecation site

The Tema Children’s Park has unofficially been converted into an open defecation site, residents therefore in the Tema West Municipality have expressed discontentment.

The Children’s Park, located in the Railway Electoral Area in Tema Community five, has been completely abandoned leaving the place bare and unsecured with its summer hut roofs completely ripped-up and fence walls broken.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency in Tema, Mr Rodney Nii Otuo Solomon, a horse trainer revealed that, with the place no longer in use as a children’s park, squatters and passersby were now defecating on and around the park.

“The fence walls are all broken, there is no security around so people have now turned the Park into an open defecation site which is inappropriate,” he said.

He added that since the park was abandoned by the authorities some residents around also win sand from the park, which caused erosion when it rains, and noted that, some people also dumped refuse and coconut residue on the park.

Madam Evelyn Ofori, a resident, while expressing displeasure over the abandonment of the Park, said it was shameful for others to throng the park and see its present deplorable state.

“People find it difficult to identify the park due to its bad state so they are not enthused about bringing their children to the park,” she said and called on the authorities to revamp the recreational facility.

“The park is a good place to generate income for the Assembly and the country as a whole when it is renovated to serve its purpose,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr Lawerh Atitiati, the Assembly Member for the Railway Electoral Area explained that there was a dispute over the ownership of the land and had stalled any potential development hence the deplorable state of the park.

“The park is under the Tema West Municipal Assembly now, but was previously given to ZONTA Club to manage, but for some time now, they haven’t been able to manage the park leaving it unsecured for children’s use,” he noted.

He added that others groups were also claiming ownership over the Children’s Park, and explained that the Tema West Municipal Assembly had put in some effort to revamp the Park, but had proven futile due to financial constraints.