Last Saturday, April 18th on TV3 Keypoints discussions, a panelist lamented bitterly as to why persons alight from vehicles and pee by the roadside in broad daylight. He singled out and condemned persons neatly dressed in suits and tie and in V8s, SUVs etc joining the fray.
He continued, “that people must carry plastics and be doing it inside to dispose off appropriately thereafter”.
l totally agree with him, but it seems to me that he did not address and avert his mind as to why people engage in such ‘ungodly’ act. Granting his assertion, what happens to persons in trotros and other public means of transport? Must they be carrying plastics and if so, where do they do the needful?
Personally, l know of a colleague who per the medication he takes in the mornings, triggers series of urinals. His situation, situated in the gridlocks in the cities may add to his plight and compound his already precarious health situation. Indeed, he will need to be carrying the yellow “Kufour” gallon when he sets off to work each day.
INSTITUTIONAL & REGULATORY FAILURES
I stand to be corrected but l am reliably informed that the framers of the law had this issue in their contemplation, thus factoring in that, every filling station among other public facilities, like drinking spots, pubs, eateries shall provide and maintain, a decent and adequate washroom facilities for public use.
Despite this clear provision to cure the above mischief, most filling stations, drinking spots, eateries etc provide not, but are issued with Business Operating Permits (BOP) by the MMDAs in which they are situated and operate and same renewed yearly.
What more, institutions such as the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), which has regulatory authority over these filling stations and clothed with the power to shut down same for non-compliance, look on in blind pretense as if it is no one’s business.
Nor is it all, for the Factories, Offices Inspectorate division of the Ministry of Employment are tasked specifically with ensuring that these facilities are provided and maintained, but they too have joined the fray and thrown their very mandate to the dogs.
CHARGES AT WASHROOMS
l visited a washroom at one filling station in the Aburi enclave and was asked to make a down payment of GHC5 before l can access their washroom facility. l had earlier visited that facility last year for free and had actually commended them and a Puma filling station at Duampompo in the Ejisu catchment area for their excellent washroom services, but the former failed woefully this time round per their charges.
Believe if they intend commercializing same, then it must be sited outside the precinct of the filling station and inform the Revenue agencies same for them to do the needful.
A probe further as to why they were charging for such services hit the rocks. Their only explanation was, there was a washroom for public use somewhere at the main office block of the filling station, as they put it, but had been locked by Management.
This provision of washrooms and its subsequent charges has a chequered history. Recall when the Court Complex in Accra was put up, this issue of charging a fee for use of washrooms therein reared its ugly head, which case has since been resolved peacefully.
Some health facilities are still battling with the use and charges of fees for use of their washroom facilities on the backdrop of the existence of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFTA) or whatever.
Most of the eateries dotted on our highways charge patrons to their facilities for use of the washrooms under the very nose and watch of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) among others. What is nauseating is, most services thereof are far, far below par.
ACTIONS AND INACTIONS
Continually, state institutions charged with specific functions are failing the citizenry big time, but who can blame them.
I believe their actions and inactions stems not only from the fact that in Ghana no one is held to account for anything but, again, Ghanaians are docile and will weather any storm. As aptly captured by William Shakespeare in his play, Julius Caesar. He writes, “He will not be a wolf, but sees that the Romans are but sheep”.
Yah, Ghanaians are really sheep and complains only after the event, which invariably amounts to nothing.
If the aforementioned state institutions are in deep slumber, per this piece, they are positively put and placed on active notice to live up to their calling.
FRACTURED PEACE.
Written by Osei Kwabena Esq., Etia Street, Asante Effiduase
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