The Ghana police service has arrested 78 liquid waste management truck drivers for staging a protest at the premises of the Nungua farms liquid waste dumping site.
The truck drivers were demanding that the facility be opened to them to dislodge faecal matter after being shut down 4 days ago.
According to the police, the arrested persons disposed of the waste on the road and adjoining bushes after they were denied entry.
The Greater Accra Regional operations commander of police, ACP Kwesi Ofori in an interview with Citi News after the arrests explained that the arrested truck drivers were engaging in activities that contravened public safety and security.
He added that the arrested truck drivers in their protest resorted to dumping faecal matter in open spaces as well as blocking roads to distort the free flow of traffic.
“Following directives from the Tema Municipal Assembly, for formal closure of the toilet dumping ground at the animal husbandry area, the operators and drivers decided not to heed to the assembly’s directive. The assembly made it known to them that where they are dumping openly is against public safety and security of the people and for that matter the city.”
“They, this morning without recourse to the the public order law, took the law upon themselves, came here, blocked the road, made it unmotorable, and dumped some of the human waste on the road. In view of this, the regional police operation team came in here and arrested 78 of them and they have now been transported to the regional headquartes for investigations,” ACP Kwesi Ofori said.
ACP Kwesi Ofori also cautioned the other truck operatives to abide by the laws of the country.
According to him, individuals who decide to take the law into their hands will be made to face the full rigours of the law.
“Meanwhile, we will like to warn the operators, drivers and their associates that we are in a democratic country and orders of the assembly and laws must be respected. They cannot take the laws upon themselves and do whatever they want.”
Photo Credit: Kwame Adzaho-Amenortor