Environmental Health Officer for Sekondi-Takoradi Abdul Karim Hudu has disclosed that a total of 805 households have registered for the construction of a household toilet facility since a three-month ultimatum was issued in April this year.
Sekondi-Takoradi Mayor Abdul Issah Mumin while unveiling a signpost on open defecation, in April this year, issued a three-month ultimatum for households without a toilet facility to construct one on their own or register with the Assembly for one or risk prosecution.
The ultimatum was necessitated by rise in open defecation cases especially in coastal communities in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.
The three-month ultimatum will end this month and Mr. Karim Hudu tells 3news.com that the response has been encouraging.
“Since the ultimatum, about 805 people have come to register and more people are also calling to inquire about it. My phone number is on the open defecation poster and so I receive calls every day. Out of the 805, the contractor has been able to fix 790 remaining only 15 that are yet to be fixed. These people just registered. But the contractor will do the needful very soon.”
He expressed the worry that despite all the warnings, open defecation persists.
According to him, about 80 individuals have been arrested for engaging in open defecation since January this year.
Mr. Hudu noted that not even the spot fine of GH¢200 to GH¢300 appears to be deterrent enough for residents in communities engaging in such practice.
“We have taken a lot of money from people but still if you go around people, are still open defecating. What we have also seen is that the offenders have realized that we don’t go on weekends. So now, we are mobilizing and very soon we will start moving around on weekends.”
He insisted that the exercise should not be seen as a harassment but for public health to be fortified.
“We don’t want people to fall sick or record an outbreak, when we could have prevented it. They should not think that we are harassing people but purely a public health exercise that we are embarking on.”
Nevertheless, he said the Assembly will continue arresting offenders.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ghana