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AMA cleans Accra
Accra, Jan. 20, GNA- The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA)
on Saturday undertook a massive cleanup exercise code named,
“Jubilee Cleanup” to rid the city of filth before Ghana’s
50th anniversary celebration on March 6.
The cleanup was preceded by a demolition exercise at the
Central Business District (CBD) of Accra of unapproved
structures and stalls erected on the pavements and walkways
by hawkers.
The demolition was carried throughout the night from Friday
2100 hours to Saturday 1500 hours, creating room for free
flow of traffic and pedestrians during the hours of the
cleanup which started from 0600 hours to 1200 hours.
The cleanup in the CBD however, started from around 0300
hours with members of the AMA, Zoomlion, National Youth
Programmme and the Fire Service completing the greater part
of the work before morning.
In the morning however, when the official time of the
cleanup was to start, shoppers and traders, who came to the
CBD stood watching aloof in wait for the clock to strike 12
noon for them to commence business.
The chiefs of Ga State, clad in red apparel to signal the
commencement the of burial activities for the late Ga Mantse,
Nii Amugi joined the Metro Chief Executive of AMA, Mr
Stanley Adjiri Blankson, amidst drumming, singing of war
songs and the firing of musketry to tour the CBD.
The actions of the chiefs signified their approval of AMA’s
action in decongesting the CBD as well as paving the way for
the cleaning of the city before the commencement of the
burial activities for their late Chief, Nii Amugi.
Mr. Blankson said the Hawkers Market at Odawna near the
Kwame Nkrumah Circle was now ready and opened for trading
activities.
He appealed to the hawkers to move to the new market to help
decongest the CBD so that there would be free flow of
vehicular traffic and pedestrians.
He said the second phase of the Hawkers Market would be
started in April if government is able to release funds.
Mr Blankson therefore, appealed to all hawkers who were yet
to be allocated stalls and sheds in the Hawkers Market to
move to the satellite markets within the various sub-metros
to continue with their trading activities.
“We are not going to entertain any hawkers in the CBD,” he
said, adding that the country would be hosting a lot of
visitors in Accra, this year through the jubilee
celebrations and other meetings and hence the need for free
flow of movement through the CBD throughout the year.
Mr Adjiri Blankson said the Agbogbloshie market would soon
be closed down for a week for the whole market to be
fumigated and cleaned, after discussion with the traders.
“We want to do this to rid the market of rodents and other
livestocks that might pose danger to the lives of the
traders,” he said.
The Tema Municipal Chief Executive, Mr David Annan, who was
with the AMA boss appealed to the media, the security
services and the entire populace of Accra to collaborate
with the AMA in keeping Accra clean.
“The act of decongesting the CBD is a collaborative effort
by all,” he said.
Staffs of Zoomlion were readily at hand during the cleanup
exercise clearing all the heaps of rubbish that had been
created.
The deputy Public Relations officer of Zoomlion Mr David
Nanayaw Asare in an interview with the GNA said Zoomlion has
lined up a number of clean-up exercise for the metropolis
under the theme, “Changing the Face of Ghana towards Ghana
at 50 and beyond”.
He said Zoomlion would place four rubbish bins under each of
the 123 traffic lights in the city by the end of January,
with the CBD alone carrying about 200, to stop people form
littering indiscriminately.
Mr Asare said most of the rubbish bins would have sanitation
guards around them to direct people to dispose of their
rubbish properly.
A visit to Alajo around midday showed that the residents
there had worked assiduously to keep their environment
clean.
The Regional Minister Shiekh I. C. Quaye, who participated
in the cleanup in his area, said his constituents believe in
the adage that “cleanliness was next to Godliness” and also
a clean environment promoted good health, hence the need for
collective involvement in the cleanup exercise.
Other areas in Accra however, registered lukewarm attitude
by residents with some people not taking part at all.
GNA
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