More than 30 residents and business operators in the Ablekuma Central Municipality were yesterday summoned for failing to clean their environs.
These persons were summoned when the Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly (AbCMA) embarked on a pilot exercise of the “Operation Clean your Frontage” campaign in the municipality in Accra.
Partnered by the Ablekuma East, Ablekuma North and Ablekuma West Municipal Assemblies, the exercise formed part of efforts aimed at “Making Accra work again.”
The exercise, which is under the auspices of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), was led by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of AbCMA, Mariama Karley Amui, and some Municipal Environmental Health Officers of partnership assemblies.
When the team visited areas including Russia, Shukura and Zongo all in the municipality, it was observed that almost all gutters in these areas were filled with heaps of refuse.
Most residents and business operators blamed other residents and institutions for the situation and for connecting their sewage systems into the gutters which emitted a pungent smell.
Addressing the media, Mrs Amui said the communities visited lived in so much insanitary conditions, including the lack of lavatories in households and the lack of dustbins to store refuse for collection.
“There are so many nice houses without latrines and they do not have proper places and good bins for keeping their refuse. Also, we found most residents and business operators connecting their waste waters into the gutters,” she stated.
She said the pilot exercise was to caution and urge them to prepare themselves ahead of the campaign which would kick-start in February.
Mrs Amui indicated that the exercise was also to educate and sensitise people on the campaign and drum home the idea that it was mandatory for all individuals and corporate entities to ensure that their environment was tidied, saying that “we have educated them and I am sure they will listen to us.”
“We have cautioned them because we have invited them to the office to explain things further so that the innocent ones will know that this is how to go about it,” Mrs Amui added.
She said this was because the Assembly would from next month be sterner and not come in with words of caution but would punish anyone who faulted or did not keep his or her environs clean.
“But February going we will not come round to caution anyone. Whoever flaunted the law will be dealt with accordingly,” she stressed.
The AbCMA MCE emphasised that the by-laws that had been passed and gazetted by the 29 Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region allowed for the enforcement of the directive.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
