11 persons jailed for 330 days for sanitation offence
The Adjaben Magistrate Court in Accra has sentenced 11 persons to 30 days each in prison for contravening the Public Health Act.
They are Emmanuel Holornyo, Yahaya Assuma, Bashiru Zaaki, Abdul Wahab Inusah and Montario Muhammed.
Also found guilty were Victor Saviour, Akolobila Akudibila, Prince Kamorudren, Ibrahim Issifu and Umar Mohammed.
The court presided over by Isaac Addo, also fined Ibrahim Alhassan ¢240 and granted Nicholas Mensah, Adongo Cletus and Lawal Olarenweju a bail of ¢2000 with a surety to reappear on June 13.
Head of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation and Monitoring Taskforce, Charles Bosomprah said the operation was carried out around the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Old Fadama, Mortuary road, GCB Liberty House and Tudu.
Kantamanto, Tema Station, National Theater, Rawlings Park, Kimbu and James Town were the other areas where the team went to between the hours of 6 am on Wednesday.
They were found culpable for open defecation, urination and indiscriminate dumping.
Operations Head at the Assembly’s Public Health Department, Randolph Benjamin Morkeh, disclosed that before the beginning of the operation earlier this month, the Assembly together with the Environmental Taskforce cautioned the public to desist from acts deemed unfriendly to the environment.
Such acts included dumping indiscriminately as well as engaging in open defecation and urination since the Assembly is bent on enforcing its bylaws.
He assured that the AMA is doing all it can to eliminate open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse in Accra adding any person caught in the act will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
He disclosed that the operation will continue and cautioned households who do not have toilet facilities to register with the Assembly for a toilet facility.
“We will advise that households or residents should have toilet facilities for themselves and also register with the accredited solid waste company for your waste to be collected and disposed of sanitarily.
“If you give your waste to these junkies we will arrest the junky and come after you too,” he warned.
He also warned residents and public toilet operators who discharge effluent into public drains to desist from the practice as the AMA will come after them.
Source: myjoyonline
