The Ayawaso Central Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Mohammed Quaye has urged residents to change their attitude towards sanitation issues in the municipality.
According to him, the resources spent on sanitation alone in the area could provide the needed infrastructure and other facilities for the socio-economic development of the municipality.
Alhaji Quaye said this at a stakeholder’s meeting on Thursday evening at Alajo in Accra aimed at sensitising the community to embrace environmental cleanliness.
The meeting attracted a large crowd including the Chief of Alajo, Nii Adjei Ajaar II, Senior Pastors and congregation of the Alajo Pentecost Church, youth groups, Muslim leaders, opinion leaders and the residents.
The MCE who lamented the ‘I don’t care’ attitude of some residents during previous clean up exercise and warned that anyone who refused to take part in today’s exercise would be dealt with, according to the law because shops would remain closed from 6am to 12noon.
“You should not expect anyone to clean the filth in front of your shop or home only for you to make it dirty again, everyone must take part in order to feel the pain and difficulty others go through when cleaning dirty environment,” he said.
Alhaji Quaye commended the Pentecost Church for their resolve to support the President’s vision of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa, thus gave them GH₵1,000 and sanitation tools to help them do the exercise.
Nii Ajaar who supported the MCE’s action said the traditional council would soon organise a massive clean-up exercise for the Alajo township towards changing the fortunes of the area.
“The days of petty squabbles are gone, the area now has a chief it now behoves the elders to take decisions to improve the health condition of the people.
The Municipal Environmental Officer, Emmanuel Sonny Alorleve urged the residents to be mindful of sanitation offences which could land them to prison warning that if they want to test the law then they can go ahead, “What stops you from paying five pesewas for a public toilet instead of the Gh₵500 you will pay at the court when caught in open defecation.
The La Area Head Pentecost Church, Reverend John Osei said the current generation should be taught to love and appreciate the environment else the fight against insanitary conditions would be a mirage.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
