The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sunday stepped up its campaign to rid the national capital of filth when it demolished unauthorized structures at Abuja, near the Central Business District.
As part of the exercise, the Agbobloshie Market was also cleared of filth.
The campaign, which began three weeks ago, aims at making the city clean, as well as curb the outbreak of cholera in the city.
The exercise was also in response to directives by the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, to the AMA and other sanitation agencies to clean up the city.
The Exercise
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the exercise, the Metropolitan Chief Executive of AMA, Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, said the AMA was poised to keeping the city free of filth.
He indicated that many areas in Accra were full of filth and needed to be cleared, adding that such areas usually contributed to the outbreak of cholera.
To ensure that those ejected did not return to settle or sell at those places, the mayor said the areas would be guarded every day.
Mayor blames Graphic
Mr Vanderpuije, who was visibly angry, indicated that he did not understand why the Daily Graphic had not reported on the clearing of the Odaw River of debris and the Agbobloshie Market of refuse and expressed disappointment at what he described as a deliberate attempt by Graphic not to report on the good things he was doing.
His reaction followed an attempt by this reporter to ask him a question during yesterday’s exercise at Abuja.
“You choose to close your eyes to what you don’t want to see and open your eyes to only those you want to see,” he said.
“I am calling on the conscience of Graphic to do what is expected of them,” Mr Vanderpuije said angrily, and for about 10 minutes, he blamed the Daily Graphic for what in his view, amounted to the paper reneging on its duties.
Source: Graphic Online