Ashaiman MP demands probe into $1m uncompleted toilet facility
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashaiman, Dr Ernest Norgbey, has called for an investigation into the use of funds allocated under the previous government’s One Million Dollars Per Constituency initiative after raising concerns over an unfinished toilet facility allegedly constructed with the constituency’s allocation.
Speaking at the project site during a tour last Thursday, Dr Norgbey expressed shock and disappointment at what he described as a gross misuse of public funds.
The initiative was intended to be one of the previous government’s signature projects to drive infrastructure development at the local level.
However, there was hardly any physical evidence of its implementation in the effort to decentralise infrastructure development in the country.
“At some point, I was informed that the $1 million allocated to Ashaiman was used to construct this toilet facility near the uncompleted E-Block educational structure at Michel Camp by the previous government.
When construction started, I was expecting a substantial structure. Unfortunately, what we are seeing today is deeply disappointing,” he said.
Dr Norgbey said he was deeply concerned about the 10-seater facility, which had been boldly labelled as a $1 million per constituency project but remained uncompleted.
He questioned how such a project could reasonably account for an expenditure of $1 million.
“We are talking about $1 million, not Ghana cedis.
If $1 million can be used to construct what we see here, then one can only imagine what may have happened in other constituencies,” he stated.
Investigation
The MP said since the structure existed and was built with taxpayers’ money, it should be completed and put to use to ease pressure on students and residents. However, he emphasised that this should not prevent a thorough investigation into how the project was awarded, executed and funded.
Dr Norgbey also criticised the rationale behind using a national government allocation to construct a toilet facility, which was also constructed without a cesspit tank, arguing that such projects ordinarily fall under the responsibility of municipal assemblies, which could fund them through Internally Generated Funds (IGF).
“Toilet facilities are important, but you cannot justify spending one million US dollars on a small, unfinished toilet project. This project would not cost even ¢50,000, give or take,” he said.
Describing the situation as “unacceptable”, Dr Norgbey reiterated his call for accountability, stating that such an occurrence “should not and cannot happen in Ghana. This project must be investigated.”
Writer’s email:
