“Operation Clean Your Frontage” takes off in Accra

The implementation of ‘Operation CLEAN Your Frontage’, an initiative of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) aimed at improving the sanitation situation in the region, took off yesterday in Accra.

The exercise took place in prime business areas, including Circle, Odawna, Lapaz, Okaishie, Farisco, CMB, Kinbu (Tudu), Kaneshie (from First Light to Obetsebi Lamptey Circle) and Farisco.

The initiative is being spearheaded by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, under his ‘Let’s Make Accra Work’ agenda, which is line with President Akufo-Addo’s vision of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa by the end of his tenure.

The sanitation initiative has seen massive sensitisation efforts, with the Regional Minister and his team yesterday taking the exercise to a higher pedestal.

He was accompanied by over 5,000 personnel, 2000 from the security service agencies, 2000 from the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana, and 1,500 from the National Service Scheme (NSS) who converged at the Black Star Square for briefings and deployment to various parts of the city.

“As part of the campaign, we had a sensitisation alongside the implementation of the bye-law today, which will ensure that all landlords and property owners keep their frontages clean,” he said.

An additional 58 compaction trucks would be made available in all 29 municipalities of the city to help in the collection and efficient disposal of waste.

Engagement

As the team engaged the largely informal economic actors, some owners were given notices to remove certain structures while adamant traders and some squatters had to be forced to comply, as the Assembly moved in to show how serious it was taking the exercise.

Because the RCC had given indications that it would not allow lawlessness on the streets, it was evident that most traders were in compliance mood, even before the team reached the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

“The idea is to send the message to them, to create that awareness, to make that awakening call, that traders have to move off the streets,” the Minister said.

He warned that a rapid response team would be deployed to monitor the situation to ensure that there is compliance and that they do not return to occupy the pavements.

To add bite to the initiative, he announced, the RCC is training a taskforce, with the first batch expected to pass out by March, to sustain the effort.

The Coordinating Council, he said, would continue to have series of engagement with the market women and work together with the MCEs to take data of those selling on streets.

KMA dealing with filth

Meanwhile, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly is set to partner with Zoomlion Ghana Limited and other stakeholders to strategically manage waste in the city.

According to the Kumasi Mayor, Sam Pyne, a sanitation taskforce, comprising 100 men, will soon be established to go on day and night patrols to ensure that the city is clean.

He said the assembly is in talks with the Zoomlion Ghana Limited to ensure the sustainability of the city’s waste management programme.

While speaking on Kumasi based Boss FM yesterday, Mr Pyne also disclosed that the upcoming project would see on site some new waste management equipment like compactors, rollers and others that would be used to inject some swiftness into the fight against poor sanitation in markets and along business centres, principal routes and neighbourhoods.

He also explained that the new machines would enable the assembly gather and transport refuse to the various landfill sites.