Government urged to close Abokobi-Pantang Landfill Site

Reverend Prophet Prince Kofi Okyere, President of Faith Anointing International Ministries, has appealed to the Government to close the Abokobi-Pantang Landfill Site in the Ga East Municipality.

This, he said, would save the residents from contracting diseases and other health-related hazards that would reduce productivity.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Abokobi on Wednesday, Rev Okyere noted that several appeals and demonstrations by the residents of the area to the Municipal Assembly to close the site had fallen onto deaf ears.

Rev Okyere said smoke from the burnings of the refuse at the site posed serious health hazards to the people, adding that because of the revenue the Assembly generated from the site, it felt reluctant to close the site.

Rev Okyere who is a resident, said the Assembly charges a fee from every vehicle of the various waste management companies for dumping refuse collected from other jurisdictions including Accra and Tema at the site.

He said in view of the huge amount of money generated from the use of the site, the Assembly was not willing to close the site in spite of the health hazards.

The President said the use of the area as a dumping ground had attracted a lot of undesirable elements such as armed robbers, scrap dealers and narcotic drug dealers and smokers to the area.

He said even though successive governments promised to close the site which had been operating for more than 10 years, they have not gathered the political will to adhere to the call of the residents.

Rev Okyere said stench from the site when ever it rained was a serious environmental challenge the community had to brace up to.

He called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to visit the area and assess the site determine the wisdom in operating such a facility close ,to the community and the Pantang Hospital which is losing its patients due to the operation of the Site.

He said apart from the bad odour emanating from the site, refuse trucks litter the area, while underground water is polluted, thus making it unsafe for consumption.

Rev Okyere said some residents he spoke to, threatened not to participate in any communal activities in the area if the site was not closed, because they will not be healthy enough to take part in the communal works.