AMA cleans Accra

Accra, Jan. 20, GNA- The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Saturday undertook a massive cleanup exercise code named, 93Jubilee 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, 93Changing 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.