The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly has joined the numerous clean environment seekers to observe this year’s World Sanitation Day, which is geared towards keeping a clean environment. The day, also described as World Clean-up Day, has been added to the UN calendar of International Days to draw the world’s attention to the need to deal with the issue of proper waste management. This year’s celebration aims to activate 5% of the world’s population, which will catalyse lasting societal change in behaviour around mismanaged waste. As part of preparations for the exercise, the Assembly procured sanitary tools such as wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, bass brooms, wellington boots, and nose masks. The tools were distributed to the Assembly Members, Security Agencies and other youth groups to clean the communities and other public gathering places such as the lorry terminals and markets.

The exercise, spearheaded by the Waste Management Department of the Assembly, saw the mayor of the city and his senior management staff visiting various communities to inspire and inspect the success of the exercise. The first area visited was the Sekondi Market, which is within the Sekondi Sub-Metropolitan District Council, where some unpermitted wooden and metal containers sited on drainage lines were demolished to enable the removal of garbage in the gutters within the area to give the market women and their customers, fresh breath in their activities. In the Essikado-Ketan Sub-Metro, the team visited the Kojokrom market, where the clean-up was also in full force observance. However, the team observed a drainage blockage at one of the entrances to the market, where the Urban Roads Engineer was directed to fix it to allow the water to pass freely. The team also visited the Takoradi Sub-Metro, where trucks loaded the gathered refuse to the final disposal site. The Metro Waste Management Director, Mr. Edwin Bonsu, indicated that the trucks would collect all the waste in the sub-metros to ensure the exercise does not lose its essence. He was hopeful that with the support of the environmental health staff in all three Sub-Metros, the heaps of garbage would be evacuated before Monday, September 23 2024.

The Mayor of the City, Hon. Abdul-Mumin Issah, indicated that the filth that has engulfed the city does not auger well for its status, saying that the Assembly would do all within its powers to enforce sanitation bye-laws as it continues to ensure periodic clean-ups to realise a clean city. He then urged Hon. Assembly Members to rekindle the communal spirit and ensure their electoral areas are clean. He revealed that the DRIP equipment delivered by the government, would go a long way to ensure the timely evacuation of all the refuse to make the exercise realise its full significance. He implored all inhabitants to make cleanliness their hallmark by supporting directives on clean-up campaigns and keeping their environment clean to enable the Metropolis to achieve the clean city it desires. The Public Relations Officer, Mr. John Laste, hinted that the overall exercise had been successful with a few compliance issues and expressed the hope that in subsequent exercises, the full support of the inhabitants would be realised for the collective goal of cleanliness to be achieved.

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