The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) seems to be overwhelmed by the indiscriminate dumping of refuse on pavements, streets and open spaces within the metropolis.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast show, the AMA’s Public Relations Officer, Numo Blafo, admitted that it will be difficult for the assembly to apprehend perpetrators of the act, but added that his outfit is still working with the service providers to make the city clean.
“The issue is that, how do you get the people who do this,” the PRO said after he was asked about the possibility of slapping perpetrators of such acts with a fine.
He made the comment on the back of a Citi News’ report of indiscriminate dumping in parts of Accra including Achimota and Lapaz.
Street sweepers under Zoomlion’s National Youth Employment Programme module keep piling refuse along the streets.
In view of this, pedestrians also dump refuse from their homes at such places, hence contributing to the heap of refuse along some streets in Accra.
“The problem of people now dumping refuse at any place at all , under traffic lights, along main roads, is the new phenomenon which I just can’t understand why people are behaving this way. It’s not only the Achimota area alone; we have it all over the city. People are doing things that are not right ” he lamented.
On the President’s promise to rid the capital city of filth by 2020, Numo Blafo said it could be possible if the AMA is adequately equipped.
“It’s doable when the political will is there; because acquisition of land in Accra is a challenge. So if government will assist the AMA to acquire the land, and also give the AMA the financial backing to acquire the necessary equipment and to get the experts to work on it why not, we can do it,” he added.
Numo Blafo also disclosed that, the AMA has planned to acquire a land to build its own properly engineered landfill site, but said “acquisition of the land has been a problem for now.”
“Now that the new Mayor is in, I know he has been briefed and we are looking at how we will continue with that process.”
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin