General News of Saturday, 3 March 2018
Source: citifmonline.com
2018-03-03
Some officials of AMA looking on as drains at Obetsebi Lamptey Circle are getting dredged
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is dredging some drains in the Metropolis today [Saturday] as part of activities to clean up Accra.
The activity is part of events to mark the National Sanitation Day declared by the Assembly earlier this week.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, together with some officers of the Assembly visited various parts of the city to assess people’s compliance with the directive.
At the Obetsebi Lamptey Circle along Graphic Road, drains were being dredged at the time of his visit.
Most businesses within the area had also closed to participate in the cleanup exercise.
Meanwhile, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly has said that it will henceforth strictly enforce its bye-laws on sanitation and will not hesitate to punish anyone or group of persons found to be in violation of the laws.
The last time a similar exercise was carried out in Accra was in December 2017.
‘Sanitation in Accra’
The sanitation situation in Accra is often seen as one of the worst in the country, despite numerous commitments and pledges by city authorities to address the problem.
Reports by Citi FM over the last 6 months revealed that some major roads within the capital were gradually being narrowed due to the regular dumping of refuse along those stretches.
The government, as part of plans to address the situation, launched the National Sanitation Campaign to undertake series of activities that will eventually make the capital, Accra, the cleanest city in Africa.
As part of the campaign, the President announced a National Sanitation Brigade to enforce sanitation laws nationwide. This brigade, to be made up Ghanaian youth, will police the adherence to the rules and regulations on sanitation in both state and private properties.
“Everyday is Sanitation Day. I recognize, however, that the government cannot do it alone. This is where I wish to call on all of us, especially our Chiefs and Queen Mothers, religious and opinion leaders, civil society organisations, private sector operators, to rise up to the challenge and help make a difference this time around,” President Akufo-Addo said at the launch of the event.
But there have not been any major improvements since the launch of the campaign.