AMA to Descend On Night Traders

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has warned traders who sell on the principal streets to remove their wares after work for the city's night sweepers.

Speaking to the Metro Mail on Friday, the Coordinator of Sanitation, Mr. David Asare said from February, the city authorities would descend on those who sell after 7 p.m. because "they prevent our night sweepers from doing their work".

Mr. Asare, popularly known as "Assembly Boy", appealed to drivers to be extra careful when driving in the night within the Central Business Districts (CBD) because of the night sweepers. He said steps are being taken to provide the night cleaners with reflectors among other logistics.

He said the AMA in collaboration with the Ghana Fire Service has embarked on a night desilting exercise in some major drains in the CBD. He said the exercise, which is done three times in every three months, is aimed at removing stench and garbage from the drains. He told Metro Mail that the de-silting exercise and spraying are costing the AMA about ?50 million every quarter and therefore called on the public to desist from littering the streets with rubbish.

He called on landlords in the CDB who do not have toilet facilities in their properties to contact the AMA. Mr. Asare said the AMA has a programme called "Envirolo" which is aimed at building public places of convenience for densely populated areas.

"The AMA would also provide mobile toilet and urinal facilities at vantage points within the CBD".

He asked residents around the CBD to allot the AMA some land to provide them with toilet facilities so that residents would stop throwing polythene bags containing human excreta into the drains.

"Assembly Boy" said companies should invest in sanitation by providing dustbins in the city to help stem the indiscriminate throwing of rubbish.