Residents of Old Abirem to demonstrate against uncleared garbage

Residents of Old Abirem have threatened to demonstrate if the Birim North District Assembly does not ensure the clearance of garbage at the landfill site in the area.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Old Abirem, Mr Abdul Hakeem Antwi, the Assembly Member for Old Abirem Electoral Area said the heap of garbage at the site posed danger to the health of community members especially in the era of the COVID- 19 pandemic.

He expressed worry at the rate at which the garbage trucks indiscriminately disposed off garbage at the entrance of the landfill site instead of dumping it in the pit to keep the place clean.

Mr Antwi said vast land was availed by traditional authorities to support the construction of landfill site by Newmont Ghana in collaboration with the district assembly seven years ago.

He said the chiefs and Newmont, after the project handed over the landfill site to the district assembly to take up full responsibilities of the place with the help of the Zoomlion, but for the past four years the assembly had failed to adhere to the agreement signed between the three parties, thereby abandoning the site.

He noted that the idea behind the establishment of the site was to generate bio- gas to be supplied to community members.

Mr Antwi said all efforts to get the assembly to clear the site had proved futile and therefore vowed to stop people from bringing their garbage to the place.

He called on the assembly to as a matter of urgency send the Zoomlion truck to work at the site to bring peace.