Police in Koforidua say they are ready to arrest traders and residents who litter and dump refuse into drains.
Traders and market women who sell around the Koforidua central market dispose of their refuse into drains after the close of business day, according to the assembly.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Isaac Appau Gyasi, who condemned their actions in a Citi News interview after a cleanup exercise organized by Zoomlion Company Limited said the assembly will crack the whip ruthlessly.
“This behaviour can no longer be tolerated or accepted here in Koforidua again. We have used education, sensitization and done whatever we need to do for residents.”
“Henceforth anyone who will be caught dumping refuse into gutters or littering the environment will be dealt with. We are going to let the assembly bylaws take its own cause and make sure the sanctions become very harsh and punitive enough to serve as a deterrent to others. No one will be spared because we will ensure that recalcitrant persons are arrested and prosecuted.”
Superintendent Raymond Erzuah, the Koforidua Divisional Commander also indicated their readiness to support the assembly in their quest to ensure sanity in the municipality.
“Cleanliness is next to godliness and as such my men and I joined this exercise today to also contribute to a safer environment. We are also very much concerned about the level of filth because the central market is just about 5 metres away from the police station and we have a role to ensure that traders and market women who sell do the right thing so we provide the needed support to the municipal assembly to enforce the bylaws and bring perpetrators to book”.
Mrs Faustina Shadey the Public Jobs Manager for Zoomlion in the Eastern Region who supervised the exercise advised residents against indiscriminate disposal of waste into gutters.
“We always advise residents and traders to use our bins, they can apply for the bins and we will give them, it is not prudent to dispose of off your refuse into gutters in this COVID season when we are all battling for a cleaner environment so we call on the market queens and leaders to advise members to use the various waste bins in and around the market and desist from dumping their waste into gutters.”