Member of Parliament (MP) for Effia Kwesimintsim Constituency, Joseph Cudjoe has donated two 10,000-litre capacity poly tanks to Windy Ridge in the Western Region.

According to him, the gesture will help alleviate the burdens of the constituents since they usually walk a few kilometres every morning to fetch water for household chores.

A resident, Samuel said on some days, he had to forego bathing until evening due to the difficulty in getting water.

“Sometimes, we have to take the uncomfortable decision of bathing with sachet water which is expensive and unsustainable,” he said.

He commended the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for the initiative, adding that it would save him the headache of running around to get water daily.

“Hon. Joseph Cudjoe is a wonderful MP. He shows leadership in times like these. I’m grateful to him because, if for nothing at all, he has saved me from years of having to walk around for several minutes every morning to fetch water,” he said.

Another resident, Sister Yaa said for years they have been complaining about the challenges of getting water but their complaints fell on deaf ears. She was optimistic that with the two poly tanks, the problem would be somewhat resolved.

“You don’t have any idea what this gesture means to some of us. It will take a whole day to tell you what we have had to go through to get water every day”.

The coordinator for the area, George Adarkwa who supervised the installation expressed the hope that the two poly tanks will help address water challenges.

“What will happen is that we are going to put in place foolproof measures to ensure that the two poly tanks last long. The residents themselves are aware of how critical it will be for them to contribute to ensuring that they go the long haul.

My Community, My water project

Baseline research by Joseph Cudjoe’s Men at Work team has revealed, among others, that access to potable water is one of the most pressing needs of his constituents.

He has thus initiated the “My Community My Water” project to help address the water needs of the most vulnerable areas.

In the first of many interventions to come, Joseph Cudjoe has provided four water tanks. Two of them have been allocated for the Windy Ridge enclave, one for the Effiakuma Cocoa Villa area, and the remaining one for No.9 Snaps College area.

Joseph Cudjoe, who is also the Minister of Public Enterprises, explains that he is not much interested in looking at the cost of the project, but is more focused on providing solutions to challenges confronting his constituents.

“If we are going to find the cost of the things we do, we will never do them. For me, the relief it will bring to the hundreds of residents at Windy Ridge and nearby should rather be the conversation. As the MP, the pledge to ensure that my constituents lack nothing is what motivates me to wake up every morning and give my all to that pledge. They have been faithful and I have to reciprocate in equal measure. I have demonstrated that and will continue to do so.”

“If it will be of value to your audience then from my own resources I am spending close to 100,000 cedis for the concrete works, the four tanks, and the installation works. We are reviewing other similar requests and will roll them out as the days go by,” he explained.

He clarified that the cost of the water tankers is for the community to bear.

“My role is the capital expenditure to install the tanks for the community. The operations and operational expenditure to fill and maintain the tanks is for the community to work at. And I’ve been fully assured of a measure to ensure that the tanks are looked after well.”

This will not be the first time Joseph Cudjoe has installed poly tanks in Effia which is not only for residents but academic institutions as well. He has extended similar support to the Ghana Communication Technology University, Takoradi Campus.