News:
March 1, 2011
There was controversy in Adenta, a suburb of Accra on Monday when government entourage led by Water Resources Works and Housing Minister, Alban Bagbin toured the vicinity with journalists to check the water situation.
The tour followed recent proclamation by President John Mills at his third State of the Nation’s Address to Parliament that the war on empty taps in Adenta had been won and that water was now flowing in a vicinity in which access to water was a luxury.
The president’s remarks were met with some vehement denials from some residents in the area who insisted the water situation had not improved. In a bid to ascertain the veracity of the President’s comments the minister toured the vicinity with journalists but the response was neither a confirmation of the president’s remarks, nor an outright denial.
Joy News reporter Kweku Botwe who was part of the team observed that the residents who the entourage had selected for verification confirmed the water situation had improved drastically, but the residents in the same vicinity who the journalist themselves spoke to denied the president’s claim, with some insisting the situation has become worse.
The situation turned a little chaotic at the SSNIT flat lorry park where the residents shouted denials or confirmation of the president’s comments. Asked why the mixed responses from people supposed to be in the same vicinity and whether some of the residents had been pre-informed about the visit of the entourage, the sector minister and leader of the entourage explained the reasons for the varying responses.
He suspected that those who complained of not having water had no pipe connections whilst others also had local problems.
He hinted some of the residents may have been cut off for non-payment of bills. The MCE of the area, Kakra Vanlare dismissed suggestions some of the residents have been coached. She said many of the residents who claimed they did not have water were mainly squatters.
She cautioned journalists to be careful who they interview in their bid to find out whether there is water in Adenta or not. The Sector Minister, Alban Bagbin later told Joy News the general water situation in Adenta “has improved.”
Source: myjoyonline.com