AMA to arrest “junkies,” coconut sellers
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has put measures in place to arrest junkies and coconut sellers who dump their waste indiscriminately in Accra.
Mr Henry Kotei Kotey, the Osu Klottey Sub-Metropolitan Chairman made this known to the Ghana News Agency during the National Sanitation Day clean-up exercise, which took place in all the six sub-metros in Accra.
He said: “The enforcement of our bye-laws is a task that must be undertaken at all cost to stop coconut sellers, junkies and some residents from indiscriminate dumping of waste anywhere for the good of all of us.”
Mr Kotey said the Sub-Metro would embark on a major exercise to register all coconut sellers in the area to ensure sanity and environmental cleanliness within their areas of operation.
At the Tudu Lorry Park, Mr Raymond Tettey, the Chairman of the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metropolitan told the GNA that the government was committed to its sanitation agenda, and had engaged the Waste Management Contractors; to help improve waste collection in Accra.
He gave the assurance that a routine cleanup would take place in the area and would engage the services of the Business Association of Tudu and the National Service Personnel Association to join hands with the people in the exercise.
At Chorkor, Madam Mariama Raji, the Ablekuma South Sub-Metro Director attributed the poor sanitation in Accra to the negative attitudes of the people towards the environment and that to solve the problem, there was the need for serious educational campaign.
She said the Sub-metro had embarked on waste segregation education in the community to promote healthy environment among the people and called on corporate organisations for support.
Mr Victor Acquaye, the Director of Public Health Department of the AMA, who addressed traders at the London Market in Accra, asked the residents in the area to ensure that their surroundings were kept clean at all times to avoid sanitation offences.
“We have prosecuted a lot of people for littering the streets, dumping of waste into drains and open defecation, which lead to outbreak of diseases. We will there not spare anyone who will be caught violating the any of the laws,” he told the residents.
Mr Victor Kortey, the Director of Waste Management of the AMA advised the citizenry to refrain from throwing waste into gutters, which often blocked the free flow of water, adding that; “the problem of waste management is longer with the AMA, but rather us as citizens.
“If we change our negative attitudes and create a healthy environment at the individual level, things will be better for all of us.”
Source: GNA