Agona West places 213 on open defecation ranking

Mr Samuel Oppong, Agona West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) has condemned the continuing open defecation practices at public places by some residents in the Municipality.

According to the MCE this affects environmental sanitation management and expressed regret that despite efforts being made by the Assembly to educate the public on the need the keep their environment clean, some people still litter the streets.

Mr Oppong Made these sentiments when he addressed the 13th National Sanitation Day Clean-Up exercise at Agona Swedru.

He said the Assembly has constructed more public places of convenience in all big towns in the Municipality yet some residents openly defecate at nearby bushes.

According to the MCE, the result of these bad practices had paced the Assembly 213 out of the 216 District Assemblies on league table recently released by the Ministry of Local Government

The MCE announced that the Assembly has planned to organize sanitation day clean-up exercise on 26th December, 2015 on the “Boxing Day” to round-off the national sanitation day exercise for the year.

He therefore charged Agona West National Sanitation Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr Ibrahim Saaka, Deputy Coordinating Director to include churches, social clubs, Muslim chiefs and others in the exercise.

During the exercise on Saturday the Sanitation committee of the Assembly impounded a taxi cab being driven by Mr Odame Kontoh who rubbished the sanitation exercise.

The Agona Swedru Divisional Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) released the taxi cab to the driver after the exercise which lasted for over eight hours.

Mr Oppong said the National Sanitation Day has come to stay and expressed the hope that the Assembly members, chiefs, opinion leaders and others organizations will ensure proper environmental sanitation in the area.

He said the Assembly was making efforts to ensure that cholera and other communicable diseases are not recorded.

According to him last year no cholera case was recorded in the Municipality and hoped that the record would be maintained 2016.

Mr Oppong commended the Police, Fire Service, Immigration, and Security Agencies for the support and assistance that had made the Municipality succeeded in the exercise.