Arrest persons who defecate indiscriminately-Ministry

Accra, Jan 26, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development on Monday urged the newly created Sub-Metropolitan Councils to set up Sanitation Task Force to conduct regular inspection of unsanitary sites.

He said they could engage the services of watchmen and guards in places where indiscriminate defecation and littering were most rampant. Mr Adjei-Darko was addressing the Association of Refuse Collecting Containers Manufacturers at a meeting to award contracts for the manufacturing of 100 containers for distribution to the Accra Metropolitan Area.

The contracts were being awarded to the association without going through the normal tender and bidding process because of the urgent need for the supply of refuse containers within the Accra metropolis. Mr Adjei-Darko said it was time culprits of indiscriminate littering and defecation were arrested and punished to serve as deterrent to others.

He said Accra being the nerve centre of Ghana's political, economic and commercial activities, was constantly under pressure from the increasing resident population of about 1.7 million and a daily visiting population of about 500,000.

"The activities of the daily visitors tend to worsen the already deplorable sanitary conditions of the city", he said.

The Sector Minister said no meaningful clean-up exercise could be attained without adequate provision of large refuse containers at identified sites, hence the order by the Ministry for 1,000 refuse containers from overseas for distribution nation-wide.

Mr Adjei-Darko said, whilst the ministry was waiting for the supply of the 1,000 refuse containers, it was prudent that the services of the association was sought for the use of about 100 containers immediately. He said the ministry had put together a team of experts to identify all the unsanitary sites within Accra metropolis and its immediate environs to evolve strategies to address the alarming situation. Mr Kwaku Obeng-Mensah, Spokesman for the Association thanked the Ministry for the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of sanitation within the metropolis.