Heaps of refuse have been deserted at various points of the Neoplan Station at Circle in Accra, exposing people who use the area to dangerous well as inhibiting economic activities.
While movements around the place had been made difficult for both humans and vehicles, the stench from the piled garbage made trading and stay at the station unbearable for patrons.
A driver who gave his name only as Charles in an interview with the Ghanaian Times said the garbage had been there since Monday hampering their movement, though before then the station was cleaned every day.
He said the situation was also having a tremendous effect on their health as they spent many hours of the day over there.
Another trader and beautician who gave her name as Lucy Frimpong revealed that some traders around her shop had in the past few days dumped refuse in front of her shop.
Complaining, she said had attracted insults and all sorts of backlash, as such, she said she had moved away from her previous sales point to attract customers.
Julia Antwi, a food vendor told this reporter that she was hardly patronised ever since the refuse was left there.
She indicated that she was exposed to flies and that made her food unattractive and unhealthy for buyers and that was affecting her.
Meanwhile, the First Trustee of the Neoplan Drivers Union, John Tetteh, said the situation was as a result of an alleged debt of refuse collection fees.
He said cleaning of the place had been given to someone, but was not up to the task, for that reason, management of the station was having issues with him (name unmentioned) as he had to be forced on some occasions to perform his duties.
Mr Tetteh said refuse at the station was not only from there but from other areas “so we need to investigate if there are other problems because we are not responsible for all these in these refuse within the yard, some are coming from outside which is a big worry to us.”
He used the opportunity to plead with the government to dredge the Odawna channel as soon as possible, to avert any damages as the Meteorological Agency had cautioned the public to brace itself for more rains.
“We also plead with Ghanaians to discipline themselves and stop dumping refuse into waterbodies, particularly the Odaw River,” Mr Tetteh added.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
