Nii Boi Town residents cry for water

RESIDENTS of Nii Boi Town, a suburb of Accra, have been without potable water for the past three years. As a result of the problem, operators of water tanker vehicles charge exorbitant prices for transporting water to the area.
The residents said they have virtually been left at the mercy of water suppliers.
According to them, some tanker operators charged so much and they were left with no alternative but buy the water.
In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, some of the residents said the situation was so disturbing because of the inconveniences associated with it and the cost involved.
Mr Jerry Koomson attributed the problem to poor communication among the government, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mrs Elizabeth Sackey, and the residents.
"There has been absolute silence. No one cares about what is happening and the MP does not make any arrangements to meet residents to discuss issues," he said.
A pharmacist, Mrs Esther Appiah, said she was disappointed at the attitude of the MP who showed no sympathy for the residents.
"Life becomes so unbearable, especially when there is no water. It is a miracle that we have been able to survive for three years without water. We have voted for her the third time and I think that should be enough for her to know that she has not finished fulfilling her promises," she said.
Another resident and trader, Madam Faustina Aboagye, called on the government to help better the lives of residents of the constituency.
"Now that the NDC is in power we expect it to come to our aid. We are suffering and no one cares. We spend so much money on water every morning when we have not even given our children money for school," she said.
A beautician, Madam Rose Quarshie, said, "Every month I buy a tank of water for GH¢60 that is 3,000 gallons. I sell some of the water to residents for 15Gp a bucket, while a gallon costs 25Gp.”
Mrs Ruth Addison also said, “The water we fetch from the ground is not clean and we always have to add disinfectant to it before we use them. If much care is not taken, you may end up using contaminated water.”
“We organised a durbar here some time ago to meet the MP to discus some problems with her but that did not yield any positive results,” she added.
A trader, Joyce Appiah, appealed to the MP to have the grievances of the residents at heart, adding, “Let us be patient and see what she can do for us. Maybe she has heard us and is preparing to solve the problem.”
Most of the residents pleaded with the government to come to their aid.