Demolished Pokuase Interchange Toilet Was Built at Unapproved Location, Not Approved Site – Ga North Assembly

The Ga North Municipal Assembly has clarified that the controversial public toilet facility demolished beneath the Pokuase Interchange was constructed at an unauthorised location, despite the project itself having been duly awarded and approved by the Assembly.

The clarification comes in the wake of widespread public criticism sparked by a viral video showing an incomplete toilet facility being built at a secluded section beneath the newly commissioned interchange. The footage triggered concerns over planning, public safety and the appropriateness of locating a sanitation facility under one of Accra’s major road interchanges.

Speaking to Citi News, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ga North, Akwetey Agbo, explained that the Assembly suspended the project more than six months ago after discovering that the contractor had deviated from the approved site without authorisation.

According to him, while the Assembly had sanctioned the construction of a public toilet to address sanitation challenges in the Pokuase enclave, the contractor unilaterally relocated the project to a different site, prompting officials to immediately halt the works.

“We halted the project over six months ago. Barely three days after work started, we realised the contractor had moved away from the approved site, so we stopped the construction,” Mr. Agbo said.

He stressed that the Assembly did not approve the location beneath the interchange where construction began, contrary to public perception.

The structure has since been demolished.

Mr. Agbo noted that the Assembly’s intervention was necessary to ensure compliance with approved development plans and to prevent construction at an unsuitable location.

Despite the controversy, he maintained that there remains an urgent need for a properly sited public toilet facility around the Pokuase Interchange due to the increasing number of commuters, traders and commercial operators who use the area daily.

He said the absence of public sanitation facilities has forced many people to resort to open defecation in nearby bushes, creating both environmental and public health concerns.

“If you look at the whole enclave, we actually need such a facility because people, especially those who operate businesses around the area, use the nearby bushes as a place of convenience. We need to address that,” he explained.

The MCE disclosed that the Assembly is already making plans to construct a new public washroom at a more suitable and approved location within the interchange enclave.

According to him, the proposed site falls within a designated buffer zone and will provide safe and accessible sanitation services for commuters, traders, transport operators and residents while preserving the integrity of the interchange infrastructure.

“There is a buffer around the enclave, so we are going to put up a public washroom there so that anyone in the area who needs such a facility will have a proper place to ease themselves,” Mr. Agbo added.

The Assembly’s clarification seeks to assure the public that while the need for sanitation infrastructure around the Pokuase Interchange remains critical, all future developments will strictly adhere to approved planning and engineering standards.