Open defecation on the rise at Moseaso as residents turn refuse dump as excretion grounds

Assembly members of Moseaso in the Amansie West District of Ghana are enraged over the lack of toilet facility in their community which has elevated open defecation despite the intense mining activities in the area.

According to them, Moseaso is gradually sinking in faeces because the chiefs have abolished the miners cooperate social responsibility fund for their gains and have overlooked inhabitants’ welfare hence the retarded development at Manso Moseaso.

Speaking to the Assemblymember for Atobease, Honorable Daniel Kwaku Mensah angrily voiced that traditional leaders have heavily disappointed the government representatives following the grabbing of their responsibilities and failing to let inhabitants recognise them for their roles.  

He revealed that miners cooperate social responsibility fund is an enormous amount of money that can cater for the development of the town and its related communities yet miners have been cautioned by chiefs to shell out the funds to them without using it on the village.

He disclosed that there is no toilet in the four suburbs of Moseaso namely, Atobiase, Kokoado, Kubease and Subinso and all residents; male, female and children excrete on a refuse dump which is very perturbing.

Toilet facility bowed out of use

“We invited the miners for a meeting to discuss their royalties and they didn’t honour because the chief secretly met them to negotiate for his selfish gains. He assured to meet us yet up till now, the chief is yet to brief us on what transpired between them.

“After the miners went to see the chief, they don’t regard us as government representatives and the situation keeps worsening. It’s very unfortunate and negatively affecting the welfare of this community,” he said.

He opened that even residents have refused to put in efforts to build a toilet facility after what he constructed bowed out of use for some time now. Per his words, he will not invest his resources in helping residents who do not see the danger of open defecation until they ask for it when hit by its consequence.

“We have a lot of challenges yet the residents are not ready to help us so I’m fed up. If they decide to stand up and conquer the situation, we'll also rise up by establishing levy funds to build a facility.

Assemblymember for Moseaso, Stephen Appiah

Stephen Appiah, Assemblymember for Moseaso also dissolved the idea of pleading to the government if the populace is not ready to resolve the mining levy challenge to build their own facility. He exclaimed that they will welcome stakeholders willing to build a facility at Moseaso even if it means taking monies from them for use.

“I don’t see why we must blame the government if we are not ready to start putting up one," he said.

"We have consulted some big names in the community yet they have all turned us down for the reason that miners’ failure to pay levy is something they are not happy with.

“We will be grateful if people come forward and build a toilet for a fee. It will be beneficial and we are hoping things to change if not, the worse will soon happen.”