Managers of places of convenience call for support

SOME managers of public places of convenience and bath facilities at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra are living in fear of attacks and thefts after a group of ‘macho’ men stormed the place early this month and attempted to take over the management of the facilities.
The managers have, therefore, appealed to the police to provide them with adequate security to enable them to work effectively and serve the public without fear of being harmed or assaulted.
On Thursday, February 8, 2009, a group of 'macho' men believed to be residents of Alajo attacked public toilet managers at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and attempted to take over the management of the facilities.
Recounting his ordeal at the hands of the ‘macho’ men to the Daily Graphic, the Manager of the Omandoh Company Public Toilet at Obra Spot, Mr Akwesi Adjei, said as early as 8 a.m. on that fateful day the group, numbering about 100, stormed the place and ordered him to leave.
He said he was so terrified that he could not utter a word and that a young boy who was with him was so terrified that he quickly dashed into one of the toilets and locked himself up.
"At a point in time I thought they were going to kill me. They took all the sales we had made, our mobile phones and packets of cigarettes which we sold and smoked them in our presence," he said.
Mr Adjei said after the men had been satisfied with their actions, they left and had since not returned.
He added that information reaching him indicated that the men were planning to return.
The manager of the public place of convenience at the Holy Gardens, Mr Seth Twum, said his place had been attacked by the same group of men who attacked the facility at the Obra Spot.
He said after he had been ordered to leave the place, the unidentified men operated the place for some hours and took the money away.
Mr Twum said four cartons of cigarettes, worth GH¢88, and GH¢150 belonging to the management of the facility were also taken away by the assailants.
At the Pedestrian Shopping Mall, the story was no different, but the manager of the place pleaded anonymity for fear of being harassed.
He declined to comment, with the excuse that the matter was being handled by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
The story was, however, different at Nima and Mamobi where residents said they had not witnessed any such incidents.