An ultra-modern bath house, public toilet and porters’ (kayayos) dormitory for the Agbogbloshie community in the Central Business District of Accra was on Wednesday inaugurated.
It is built by Zakmus Enterprise at the cost of GH500,000, as part of a private sector initiative to support the government’s efforts to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 6 relating to sanitation for underserved communities.
The 40-bed porters’ dormitory attached to the facility offers affordable accommodation to the kayayos to protect them from the dangers of sleeping in the open.
It is also to complement the government’s plan to build a 600-bed hostel for the kayayos.
It is the eighth facility built by Zakmus Enterprise, located in the deprived communities in the Greater Accra and Central regions.
Inaugurating it, the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major (retd) Derek Oduro said “this beautiful edifice will go a long way to bring relieve to our brothers and sisters who do business as kayayo, traders and customers in this place.’
“Everything is security. If we improve sanitation and provide decent accommodation for those on the street, then crime will also go down,” Maj(retd) Oduro said.
He commended Zakmus Enterprise for contributing to the SDG on sanitation saying “sanitation is such an important matter that everybody in this country must be concerned about.”
He said large numbers of people flock into the cities of Accra, Tema and Kumasi without sufficient accommodation “these people then create slums by living in wooden structures, kiosks and concrete houses with no toilet and bath in them.”
“These people therefore result to open defecation and disposing of refuse in the open, causing sanitation challenges for the city authorities,” the deputy minister said.
The Deputy Defence Minister urged the kayayos to take advantage of government’s initiatives like Free Senior High School, One Village One Dam, Planting for Food and Job, Planting for Export and Rural Development, Rearing for Food and Jobs to better their lives “so, in the next few years, people can stay in their hometowns and do agriculture and make a lot of money…”
The Chief Executive of Zakmus Enterprise, Zakari Musah Kobina commended the government for supporting the private sector to grow, especially in the area of fighting the land guard menace.
He said through the work of the anti-land guard operations and commitment to the rule of law, he had been able to reclaim his properties that had been appropriated from him by land guards.
The President of kayayos, Hajia Adisa urged the kakayos to be of good behaviour and to keep the facility clean for maximum benefit.
Hajia Adisa asked the kakayos to better their lots from the various government initiatives, citing the exploits of the Black Maidens player, Mukarama Abdulai.
Present were representative of the Member of Parliament of Odododiodoo Constituency, Nii Lante Vanderpuye and aspiring New Patriotic Party Parliamentary Candidate for the area, Nii Lante Bannerman.
By Salifu Abdul-Rahaman
