ADB, Access Bank charged for flouting waste by-laws

Nine institutions have been charged for contravening Sections 1, 2, 3 and 10 of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Waste Management by-law 1995.

They are the Korle bu Branch of the Ghana Private Transport Union (GPRTU), Abbosey Okai branch of Ghana Oil (GOIL), Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Samir Engineering Company, Prudential Bank, Access Bank and the Yellow City Hotel.

A statement released by the AMA said they were fined various amounts of money totalling GH¢2,280.00 equivalent to 190 penalty units for their refusal to register with the AMA Accredited Waste Management Contractor assigned to their area.

Prudential bank, Goil, GPRTU, ADB, Samir Engineering were made to pay a fine of GHS 360 each while Access bank and Yellow city hotel also paid GH 240 each due to efforts to register after the summons.

Her Ladyship Linda Amissah presiding judge at the Ablekuma Central District Sanitation and Motor Magistrate Court, cautioned institutions who flouted sanitation laws that anyone caught not complying with AMA by-laws would be made to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others.

She admonished the offenders to be ambassadors of a clean environment, and all who have not registered with waste service providers under the polluter-pay policy to do so.

A bench warrant was also issued for the arrest of the Abossey Okai branch managers of Ghana Commercial Bank and Best Point Savings and Loans for their failure to appear before court when they were summoned.

Prosecutor, Mr Edward Nii Ayi Okai, said all nine institutions failed to comply with the assembly's directive to register with its Accredited Waste Management Contractor to collect their waste.

In a related development some eleven persons, including two women have been arrested by the AMA for allegedly dumping household refuse on the kaneshie portion of the Accra - Kasoa Highway.

They are Janet Ganu , Constance Badu , Eko Kobina , Eric Mensah , Richard Asumani , Afamu Cyril , Theophilus Ashong , Evans Tettey , Kwaku Frimpong , Nii Okine and one other who gave his name as Awudome Cemetary.

The suspects, who live in and around Kaneshie, were grabbed when officials of the Okaikoi South Sub- Metro carried out an operation last Thursday night with police assistance to arrest persons who were flouting sanitation laws.

The exercise covered the Pamprom traffic lights to the Kaneshie First Light from 9p.m. to 4:30 a.m.