In a decisive move to curb indiscriminate dumping and improve environmental hygiene across the Okaikwei North Municipality, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Christian Tetteh Badger, has announced plans to roll out a dedicated sanitation task force.
The task force, popularly referred to as “Sanitation Police“, is mandated to monitor key public spaces and enforce waste management laws.
Hon. Badger reminded residents that poor sanitation contributes to the spread of disease and urged active participation from all community stakeholders, especially the youth.
“Filth is responsible for many sicknesses in the country,” he said, appealing to young people to join the ongoing cleanup efforts in the municipality.
Addressing journalists during the Municipal clean-up exercise aimed at deepening sanitation awareness, Hon. Badger said the sanitation police will be stationed at strategic vantage points to prevent residents and motorists alike from disposing of refuse in undesignated areas.
“Offenders will be prosecuted,” he cautioned, underlining the Assembly’s commitment to strict enforcement of sanitation laws.
A refuse compactor has been allocated to service the Lapaz area twice daily — in the morning and evening — to ensure timely removal of waste and discourage littering by residents, according to the MCE.
Hon. Osman Mahmoud, the Assembly Member for Akweteyman Electoral Area, tasked the youth in the Municipality to join in the cleanup exercise.
The task force forms part of a broader strategy by the Assembly that includes increased refuse collection services. The sanitation engagement follows a recent official visit by Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, whose advocacy for cleanliness aligns with national efforts to elevate environmental health across communities.
The sanitation drive is part of Okaikwei North’s contribution to President John Dramani Mahama’s national sanitation agenda, which emphasizes shared responsibility between government and citizens for cleaner, healthier living environments.
With stricter enforcement measures under way and sanitation police poised to patrol high-risk spots, the Assembly hopes to change long-standing attitudes to waste disposal and sustain visible improvements in environmental cleanliness.
SOURCE: onma.gov.gh
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson, AD IIB
