The Ashanti Regional Minster Mr. Simon Osei Mensah has ordered Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to prosecute people who violate sanitation bye laws within their respective jurisdictions.

This step according to him will ensure that the region will regain its former status of being clean and green as it used to be especially the capital Kumasi which was known as the Garden City.

In Ghana, people who violate or offend sanitation bye-laws could be sentenced or fine by a law court or serve custodial sentences but this has been sidestepped with authorities looking on unconcerned.

But the Minister who is worried over this development, gave order at the launch of the ‘Regional Clean and Green Campaign' in Kumasi at the Regional Coordinating Council Hall.

He ordered that MMDAs have a greater responsibility to ensure that they implement in their jurisdictions the cleaning of communities, enforcement of sanitation bye laws and strengthening of prosecution of sanitation offenders.

Mr. Osei Mensah also indicated in his speech that, MMDAs must sustain education and sensitize communities by involving the media and Information Services Department in their campaign.

“I wish to place on record that, the Campaign shall ensure quarterly activities in our communities such as organizing communal labor with the participation and supervision of Members of the Sanitation Committee in the various MMDAs”, he stated.

To this end, he cautioned MMDAs to also involve Assemblies and Unit Committee Members to drive the campaign with the responsibility of ensuring the growing of trees.