56 sanitation offenders prosecuted in Accra Metropolis between Jan and Mar 2021 - AMA

A total of 56 persons were prosecuted in Accra for various sanitation offences between January and March this year.

The prosecution of the offenders followed their failure to comply with the 2017 by-laws of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

Their offences include the absence of household toilet facilities, unsanitary premises, defective septic tanks, chocked drains as well as the expiration of medical health certificate.

Out of the offenders 14, 18 and 24 were from the Ablekuma South, Ashiedu Keteke and Okai-Koi South sub metros respectively.

Head of Public Affairs, Gilbert Nii Ankrah who disclosed this in Accra on Friday, said the prosecutions forms part of ongoing measures by the AMA to enforce its by-laws to ensure a clean city.

According to him during the period, 93 summons were issued out of which 56 persons were successfully prosecuted adding that an amount of thirty-three thousand, six hundred Ghana cedis (GH33,600) was generated into the consolidated fund due to the enforcement activities.

He noted that the sanitation by-laws of the Assembly mandate every household to have a sanitary facility for the use of the occupants adding that although over 4,500 toilets have been constructed under the 1 household 1 toilet project within the metropolis some households still do not have.

He pointed out that it was an offence under the by-law if a person fails to keep the drains that abut their premises up to the middle of the street, clean, provide a standard container for refuse storage, receives service from an unauthorized person or uses the services of an unregistered solid or liquid waste contractor, or discharges effluent into the open drains, operates a public or commercial toilet without a valid permit, defecates in the open drains, or indiscriminately dumps solid and liquid waste in open spaces, drains, gutters, behind walls, or burns solid waste in one's compound.

He reiterated the Assembly's commitment to enforcing its by-laws to deter would-be offenders and urged all residents to be responsible towards the environment, adding that the Public Health Department would be visiting home premises for routine checks.