TMA drags cattle rearers to tribunal

Tema (Greater Accra) 15 July,

The Tema community tribunal today granted 300,000 cedis bail each to 10 cattle rearers who keep large herds of cattle in their residential areas at Ashaiman against the Tema Municipal Assembly's (TMA) environmental by-laws. The cattle owners who pleaded not guilty and are to re-appear on July 23, are Mercigah, Bello, Rugers Adams, Alhassan Issah, swalisa, Ahmed Ibrahim, Issifu Abu, Imoro and Ibrahim Gariba. Mr. Edward Saka, Principal Environmental Health Officer for TMA prosecuting told the tribunal chaired by Captain Philip Agbeyome (rtd), that during TMA's up grading sanitation project at Ashaiman the accused persons who keep cattle in large quantities in their homes, were served with removal notices on March 19, 1998. He said while they refused to heed the removal notices, they went to FM radio station to announce tht they had paid some money to some TMA officials to allow them to keep the cattle. Investigations into the accusation however found it false. Mr. Saka said they were issued with summons to appear before the tribunal, but they refused and were therefore, served with bench warants. In their explanation, the accused persons said they had appealed to the authorities for tarmlands to keep their cattle, but they have not got any response. gri