OH, GHANA WATER!

Last Thursday, my dear friend, I witnessed an episode that I found very interesting. Payment for water bills had since 2019 been nicely computerised in such a way as made it possible to effect payments using the various mobile money platforms.

I obviously latched on to the new payment module and began utilizing it. In November 2019, I received a bill with a total bill of GHS76.00. I effected a payment of GHS100.00. Two days ago, I received a phone call from a lady from the Ghana Water office in Amasaman. She indicated that I was having arrears of GHS160.00 against my name and she was calling to find out my plans to clear that bill. I promised to send effect the payment through mobile money, in order to clear it. Unfortunately, the MTN mobile money platform was faulty on the day, thus disabling my attempt in making the payment. Somehow, I forgot to make the payment thereafter.

This afternoon, while taking a nap, I received another call from the Ghana Water office in Amasaman. They were following up in the same payment. I was excited and angry about the call. I was happy that finally there was a utility that was willing to go every length to recover bills irrespective of the amount involved. On the other hand, here was a citizen who mostly pays his bill far in excess of the bill amount so I could not bring myself to bear on the fact that I was being pursued for a mere GHS160.00. If only the Ghana Water and its sister utilities were to apply that same enthusiasm in pursuing arrears owed them by other citizens, their losses would not be hovering between 40% and 70% (depending on which utility).

Interestingly over this same period, my dear friend, I’ve seen individual water bills that run into thousands of Ghana Cedis but whose bills continue to accumulate simply because they probably live in affluent neighbourhoods or that the bills stand in the name of key institutions.

It is about time, my dear friend, that our State actors played the roles expected of them in ensuring that the ship of State is run in the most effective yet equitable manner.

Eric Atta-Sonno

My dear friend,

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.” – George Bernard Shaw

Over the last couple of years, I’ve dedicated a bit of my time to join the struggle of helping to raise the younger generation. This has been to ensure that they are well positioned to take over the reins of this country and improve on its lot.

Being a committed Christian, I have for the better part of my adult life been inspired by the philosophy, ‘Omnibus Omnia Factus Sum’, a Latin phrase adopted from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians 9:22 where he wrote that he became all things to all men that he might save some by all means.

I have therefore, utilized all manner of approaches to help influence positive change in the attitude and orientation of our people for the overall purpose of nation building. To this, I welcome you to my blog. Enjoy my take on issues espoused through the scripts as well as my brief thoughts on issues as they play out daily and news stories on various endeavors that I may play a part in.

Feed back is always critical for improvement and I would thus appeal to you to always leave a note after reading any piece on this blog.

Welcome and enjoy browsing the pages.

Eric Atta-Sonno