Taskforce to handle sanitation in Accra

The Major of Accra, Dr Okoe Vanderpuije on Monday announced the establishment of a five-member Taskforce in all the electoral areas of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to handle all environmental sanitation issues in the city.

The taskforce, he said would be headed by the Assembly member for the area with a representative from the District Cleansing Officers Unit, District Environmental Sanitation, NADMO and a Councillor from the Unit Committee.

The Mayor said the current clean-up exercise would continue until all refuse dumps within the city had been evacuated.

Dr Vanderpuije explained that the refuse had piled up at various parts of the city as a result of the closing down of refuse landfill sites.

He said the AMA had acquired two alternative landfill sites at North Ablekuma and South Ablekuma for the dumping of refuse.

The Mayor commended the Office of the President, the Vice President, the Ministries of Local Government, Environment, Science and Technology and Health for their support to rid the Metropolis of filth and refuse from 15 sites.

He said the various Taskforce would collaborate with the Waste Management contractors to sustain the current exercise.

The Mayor urged residents of the city to dump their refuse at the appropriate place and to desist from littering indiscriminately.

Dr Phillip Lamptey, popularly known as Paa, Chairman of the Environmental Sub-Committee of the AMA called for an attitudinal change on the part of residents to keep the city clean.

He advised them to stop dumping refuse into drains during down pours.

The Co-ordinating Director of the AMA, Mr Samuel Ayeh Datey said the exercise would be sustained until the city was rid of filth.

The Ashiedu-Keteke Sub-Metro Chairman, Mr Daniel Nii Okai, called for the prosecution of those who litter the city.