The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has handed spot fines to six store owners, four merchants, and three drivers in the Central Business District for violating the National Sanitation Day (NSD) exercise mandate not to operate.
The four vendors were penalised for selling during the cleanup period, while the six store owners in the Rawlings Park area were punished for operating throughout the exercise and neglecting to clear the drains in front of their establishments.
Additionally, the three drivers received fines for parking in unapproved locations.
The Assembly’s efforts to enhance sanitation, avoid floods, and guarantee the unrestricted flow of water through the city’s drainage systems included the exercise, which was conducted in spite of the intense rains.
Speaking to the media during the exercise, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the mayor of Accra, stated that despite the rain that started the night before, the Assembly was still committed to completing the cleanup and that participants and Assembly staff persevered through the rain to make the exercise a success.
According to him, the Assembly faced difficulties with certain store owners who did not tidy their surrounds and did not take part in the clean-up. As a result, the AMA enforced its cleanliness rules and fined offenders on the spot.
The Assembly would continue to clean places that could not be covered during the exercise, according to Hon. Allotey, who stated that even if the exercise was successful, cleanliness remained a constant responsibility and not a one-day effort.
The Mayor emphasised the need for renewed public education, discipline, and engagement, pointing out that many locals and traders were still getting used to the reintroduced NSD program because it had not been observed for more than four years.
He warned that the Assembly would keep clearing obstacles from waterways and said that human activity, including as dumping trash into drains, building on waterways without permission, and putting structures or commodities in drainage systems, was a major contributing factor to Accra’s flooding.
A day before to the exercise, Honourable Allotey said that he had overseen the demolition of a few unauthorised buildings blocking waterways and issued a warning that anyone found disposing of waste in drains or waterways would face legal action, a fine, or imprisonment, depending on the court’s ruling.
He said that the Assembly was launching a whistleblower incentive program that would pay GH¢200 to anyone who reported someone throwing trash into drains or waterways and provided reliable evidence that resulted in the offender’s arrest and conviction.
Speaking about road construction in the area, the mayor stated that the reconstruction of the Rawlings Park road was being done in two stages. Phase one at CMB was finished, while phase two at Rawlings Park had been delayed because of the ongoing rain. He added that materials had been delivered to the site and reassured locals that work would resume once the weather improved, with significant completion anticipated by next week.
Source: newsthemegh.com