The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Accra, Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah yesterday gave account of his stewardship since assuming office in 2017.
The town hall meeting which brought together development partners, assembly members, trade unions, traditional rulers, residents and the general public afforded constituents the opportunity to be abreast with developments within the Assembly.
The move is in line with government’s efforts to strengthen local governance and promote accountability among the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
In his presentation which touched on a wide range of issues bordering on education, health, sanitation, waste management and infrastructural development among others, the MCE expressed the assembly’s commitment to build a much resilient Accra.
In the area of flood risk management which remains a major headache in the metropolis, Mr Sowah made particular mention of the dredging of the Korle Lagoon and Odaw River, both major storm drains in the capital, which was expected to be completed by next year.
He indicated that the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the drains had accounted for the delayed desilting under the phase two of the project adding however that works on the 630 metre long drain at the Kaneshie-First Light area had been completed to help reduce flooding in the capital.
On liquid and waste management, Mr Sowah said while the assembly had vigorously embarked on the provision of toilet facilities for households and schools, it had also taken steps to replace damaged sewer lines to encourage proper disposal of liquid waste.
“We now have excess capacity to dislodge liquid waste as we have done away with the use of pan latrines in the city. Most schools which did not have toilets, we are providing them with some.
The time to engage people in having toilets in their homes is over. Now, we are enforcing the law and processing people for court for failing to construct toilets,” he said.
According to the MCE, the AMA in a bid to rid the city of filth had supplied over 1000 waste bins to schools and households in the metropolis though “It is not our responsibility to do so. Households must have bins to contain their refuse and dispose them at the right place, we are just meeting you halfway.”
Mr Sowah said under a beautification project being embarked upon, the assembly is planting 100,000 trees in the city which will be taken a notch higher by the first quarter of 2020 where city dwellers would be provided with seedlings to plant to protect the region’s forest cover.
“For the first time, we are going to introduce public sitting places in Accra where people can sit to relax for a while when they come to the district. We are also installing air quality monitoring devices to measure pollution levels and maintain safe oxygen in the metropolis,” he noted.
In terms of education and health, Mr Sowah mentioned the expansion of a two-storey maternity ward for the Usher Clinic in Jamestown, a suburb of Accra, as part of efforts to revamp dilapidated health facilities in the metropolis.
He indicated that work on a 30-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities for the Sempe Basic School in Jamestown was about 60 per cent complete while the AMA had secured funds to complete stalled school projects.
Infrastructural works such as the construction of 180 market stalls at “Makola number 2” in the Central Business District, the MCE disclosed, is expected to be completed by the first week in December 2019.
The assembly he added had also completed asphalting selected roads in the metropolis such as the Azuma Nelson, Feo Oyeo, Dentu and Orgle Roads to enhance business.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
