No more refuse dumping at Kpone – Assembly

The Kpone Katamanso District Assembly has passed a motion to prevent trucks from dumping refuse at the Kpone land fill site, beginning Tuesday July 2nd, 2013.

This followed a unanimous decision by the Assembly on Thursday after members held deliberations concerning the issue at Kpone.

"We need to meet with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and Zoomlion, to discuss this issue, said Mr. Elis Aferi, Presiding Member of the Assembly.

He said whilst refuse was sent in from other places to the land-fill, which was situated within the Kpone District, "we are not compensated in any form for that."

The presiding member said that was most unfortunate since the refuse were brought in from Accra and other places, but ended up inconveniencing inhabitants of Kpone.

"The complaints from residents are becoming unbearable. The stench from the site has taken over our smells. We need to find a solution to this problem," he said.

Mr. Aferi said although the Kpone-Katamanso District Assembly had on several occasions complained to the TMA, which is responsible for the situation, their complaints had fallen on deaf ears.

During their deliberations, assembly members of the Kpone-Katamanso District concluded that it was only by embarking upon their intended action that their plight would be understood.

The blockage to prevent refuse truck drivers is supposed to be done at the Kpone barrier.

The meeting also saw the inauguration of Area Councils within the district, and members of these councils were sworn in by Alhaji Antiaye Tetteh, Chief Executive of the District.

He urged the members to abide by their oath of office and remain loyal to the state as responsible citizens.

"If you fail to abide by the provisions laid down for your office, you would face the requisite sanctions."

Alhaji Tetteh urged them to be hard working and also strive to be sincere and truthful in all their doings.

Mr. Mohammed Yakubu, Coordinating Director of the District, said area councils formed the basis of the local governance concept.

"They occupy the lowest echelon of the local government system and can rightly be referred to as the foundation of local governance."

He said if they were strengthened, the structure could stand the test of time.

"We have the collective responsibility of supporting them to get established and functional. We stand to gain tremendously from their operations as they are well positioned to mobilize revenue for the development of the district," said the District Coordinating Director.

Mr. Yakubu added that the councils would also serve as breeding grounds of legislators and technocrats to feed the broader system.