Assemblyman threatens to lead residents of Asesewa to demonstrate over water challenges

Correspondence from Eastern Region:

The people of Asesewa in the Eastern Region have threatened to hit the streets with a massive demonstration against the government to press home their demand for access to potable water.

The residents, led by the Assembly Member for Asesewa Community "A" Electoral Area, Nti Foster Kofi Aborjemke, claimed they struggle on a daily basis

Read full articleto access water and share what he called muddy water with animals for the past two years.

The area has since the beginning of the year suffered acute water challenges to the extent that residents resorted to travelling long distances to fetch water from streams and boreholes for domestic and other purposes.

The Systems Manager of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) at Asesewa, Godfred Nimoh, in a previous interview with GhanaWeb blamed the problem on the abuse of government’s free water policy and low pressure from its two pump stations at Odometa and Agbom, both suburbs of Asesewa which run during the day and night respectively failed most households to receive water supply from its systems.

But explaining the reasons behind the intended demonstration, the Assemblyman said the people could no longer bear the current situation.

“I intend leading this demonstration because we're facing serious water problem. Water to drink is a problem for my people," said Honourable Ntim who added that some of his electorates have been denied potable water for two years now.

According to the convener of the yet to be held a demonstration, the status of Asesewa is no longer a community but a town and for that matter a district capital which can no longer depend on the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) for effective supply of water to the people and opted for the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).

"We're now saying that community water (CWSA) can no longer contain Asesewa. The district is now widening and the population has increased and for that matter, we're now appealing to the government that we now want to join Ghana Water Company Limited," the peeved Assembly member said and warned that the people were not ready to compromise on this demand.

He emphasized that residents of Asesewa enjoyed regular supply of potable drinking water years back under the Community Water Management.

A well, which serves as the only source of water for the people, he said, is often polluted with rain water.

According to him, the woes of the residents began after the Community Water and Sanitation Agency took over the operations and got worsened when some main pipelines were cut off during the construction of some town roads in Asesewa.

It is against this background that they are requesting the Ghana Water Company Limited to take over the administration of their water system from the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) for effective management.

Systems Manager of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) at Asesewa Godfred Nimoh in an interview, appealed to the people to exercise restraint as demonstrations do not solve problems.

He however promised to keep in touch with them so far as his outfit is there to provide them with good water.

"What we want to tell them is that demonstration will not solve the problem. We'll keep in touch with them so far as we're here to provide them with water," he appealed.

Blaming the contractor undertaking the construction of some town roads in the area for damaging some pipe lines during his project leading to the irregular supply of potable water for the people, he said, "The contractor who was engaged did not inform us, before we realized, construction of the road had gone on and all these pipes had been destroyed.”

The CWSA manager however added that the contractor involved has promised to in the coming weeks assist to rectify the problem.