Residents at Kakasonaka in the Kamina/Zagyuri electoral area of the Sagnarigu municipality in the Northern region are leaving in fear as outbreak of cholera and other insanitary related diseases looms. The residents say the decade’s old abandoned refuse at the collapsed toilet facility in the area poses serious health hazard and need attention by the municipal authorities.
The refused dump has a container stacked in what appears to be like a mountain of waste. The danger is situated in the middle of houses of some influential people and politicians including the current Member of Parliament for Gushegu, Alhassan Tampuli.
ironically, the area shares boundaries with the School of Hygiene, an institution that trains environmental health officers
The collapsed toilet now dumping place of dead animals and place of opening defecation at night was constructed in 2008. Houses very close to the toilet say they lost their right to breathe unpolluted air due to the stench emanating from the heap of refuse dump.
Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini prior to 2020 general elections constructed a six-seater toilet to help prevent open defecation in the area. However, the residents say the facility has been poorly manage and not accessible.
the stench from the area is unbearable but inhabitants close to the area have no option but to endure it at the expense of their health.
Rubbish, especially robbers were seen hanging on walls of some houses, presumable carried by wind. Residents told Zaa News there have been attempts to clear the waste in the past but unsuccessful due to the huge nature of the heaps.
According to the residents, several appeals to their assemblyman have yielded no positive results. The residents are therefore appealing to the Sagnarigu municipal assembly to liaised with Zoomlion to clear the life-threating waste in the area.
Assembly member for Kamina/Zugyuri electoral area, Mr Yakubu Issahaku admitted that the refuse poses danger to his people but added that he assumed office as the third representative of the people at the assembly and met it.
He explained; I tried my best to ensure that environmental health unit of the assembly to evacuate the refuse but the excuse is always that there are no resources. The assembly he added has included the area to its 2021 plans and that hopefully, the refuse will be evacuated.
The assembly he said, normally partner with Zoomlion Ghana for logistics to clear huge waste and later paid. Mr Issahku told Zaa News after he relayed the assembly’s challenges to the community, they started cleaning the area almost every Saturday even before northern regional minister declaring every last Saturday of every month as sanitation day.