The LaDMA was also asked to enforce its bye-laws to ensure sound sanitary practices in the area.    Nii Anyetei Anokware Nsro I, La Abese Adonten Dzasetse, made the call when he chaired the inauguration of 18 household toilets completed under the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area - Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA-SWP).

The project, dubbed: “Operation Own a Household Toilet at Half Price,” is being sponsored by the World Bank and implemented in the Greater Accra Region. Nii Anokware Nsro said the residents at Abese, a suburb of La in Accra, did not obey bye-laws on environmental health and that led to the cholera outbreak some few years ago.

He said effective sustainable awareness such as house-to-house campaigns as well as the promotion of hygiene among the people was important and urged residents to take advantage of the half-price toilet project to improve sanitation.

He acknowledged the contribution of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and its partners, especially the World Bank, for supporting the LaDMA to provide the toilet facilities.  Mr William Koney Mensah, the Assemblyman for New Lakpaanaa Electoral Area, appealed to the people in the Abese Community and its surroundings to be more proactive to unhealthy practices of indiscriminate defecation and dumping of refuse into drains.

He said LaDMA alone could not tackle the enormous environmental issues and called on the citizens to initiate measures to assist in solving the problems. Mr Ignatius Dordoe, a Planning Officer of LaDMA and Team Leader, said there was reduction in cholera cases but cautioned the people not to be complacent. He gave the assurance that the assembly would intensify its education on sanitation and factors that militates against the development of communities.

He urged communities to embrace the provision of the half-price toilet for their best interest to eliminate open-defecation in the areas.