Re-launch the "Tankase" Concept to Abate Cholera Outbreak

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• Military Man 11 years ago

  Stephen,
  
  Wouldn't that be nice if we could revert back to that system of keeping our cities and towns clean and thereby keeping the citizens healthy?
  
  In all fairness, I think that might be next to impossible with the po ...
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  Stephen,
  
  Wouldn't that be nice if we could revert back to that system of keeping our cities and towns clean and thereby keeping the citizens healthy?
  
  In all fairness, I think that might be next to impossible with the population explosion and the inability of the government to pay workers, not to mention bribery and corruption.
  
  Those "tankase" guys in those days were very dedicated workers who had a job to do and they did it effectively without any distractions.
  
  These days, bribery and corruption have eaten so deeply and entrenched themselves into every fabric of our society that I fear the temptations would be overwhelming for these guys to be effective.
  While one part of me thinks that
  under the present economic situation, it will be a huge leap of faith to take in believing that the system will be that effective like it used to be, the other part of me also says let's give it a shot, hoping that the economic situation will improve making bribery and corruption things of the past.
  
  I'm not daydreaming, am I?

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• KBK 11 years ago

  There's too much bribery in the country to make the system of sanitary inspectors to succeed today. Even during those good old days the inspectors were not completely trustworthy even though they did their work. Today they wo ...
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  There's too much bribery in the country to make the system of sanitary inspectors to succeed today. Even during those good old days the inspectors were not completely trustworthy even though they did their work. Today they won't even do their work but take bribes.
  
  Today, Zoomlion is doing the Tankase's work in keeping the public places neat and collecting household rubbish. They can be monitored by the authorities. But who is doing the sanitary inspectors work of inspecting cleanliness in individual houses and bringing people to court for not sweeping their own houses or keeping their water tanks neat always?
  
  The population explosion in our country is making things worse. It's easier to keep the rural areas neater than certain parts of the cities.
  
  If things work better in Ghana, the situation may improve. The problem is things don't work in Ghana across the board. The police are still getting bribes openly. Everybody is getting bribes. The politicians are openly competing to display their ill gotten wealth. Even the DCEs, under whom the Tankase and inspectors directly fall, are busy building their own mansions before the party that put them in power goes out of government.

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• JOE NIPAMU 11 years ago

  Stephen, you have taken my mind back to the good old days. How effective these Tankase men were. It was bad governments that stopped their existence. Which gov't can do the right thing by bringing the concept back?

  Stephen, you have taken my mind back to the good old days. How effective these Tankase men were. It was bad governments that stopped their existence. Which gov't can do the right thing by bringing the concept back?

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• Kodzo 11 years ago

  We called them Tangaas when we were young. It was as grown ups that we knew the word was really Town Council workers. They were the ones who swept the market places and carried shit on their head to drop them in huge holes du ...
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  We called them Tangaas when we were young. It was as grown ups that we knew the word was really Town Council workers. They were the ones who swept the market places and carried shit on their head to drop them in huge holes dug on the edge of town. Most of the shit carriers in the VR where northern Togolese. There was even a joke among us kids that in the land of the shit carriers of northern Togo, you would never get a wife unless you showed proof of your shit carrying in Ghana. The prove was the short broom that you had used in scrapping the shit and sweeping the shit house.
  
  Hmmm, those were the days. The shit carriers were also Tangaas because they worked for the Town Council. They were honest men working for their daily bread. But the Sanitary Inspectors were not always honest men. They pressed you and could let be giving you a summons to appear before the local magistrate for offences against the hygiene laws.
  
  But the most feared of the colonial officials were the tax collectors who came to demand the land poll popularly known as "lanpoo". But that is another story...

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• Ellis 11 years ago

  Kodus to your ink Agya Stephen,I think Ghana has undergone lots of transformation.All of these transformations have not been beneficial to the country, You can simply see that all institutions in Ghana have lost their credibi ...
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  Kodus to your ink Agya Stephen,I think Ghana has undergone lots of transformation.All of these transformations have not been beneficial to the country, You can simply see that all institutions in Ghana have lost their credibility nowadays. So shall the town council be even if is re-establish.

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• Brahmanand Mandal 11 years ago

  Its seems very real, when i go through the article, i felt that such type of Tankase concept should be in Nepal also.
  Globalization and urbanization creates unwanted waste in all sector therefor, it should be controlled .Ver ...
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  Its seems very real, when i go through the article, i felt that such type of Tankase concept should be in Nepal also.
  Globalization and urbanization creates unwanted waste in all sector therefor, it should be controlled .Very nice article. Go ahead with same enthusiasm. Good luck.

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• ghanaman 11 years ago

  Indeed, certain pragmatic measures need to be taken to ensure hygiene and sanitation norms are enforced and duly maintained. National Hygiene and Sanitation Programme (Operation) must be crafted and implemented without delay.

  Indeed, certain pragmatic measures need to be taken to ensure hygiene and sanitation norms are enforced and duly maintained. National Hygiene and Sanitation Programme (Operation) must be crafted and implemented without delay.

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• Brahmanand Mandal 11 years ago

  Very effect way to maintain sanitation and hygiene .
  It is applicable for developing countries in present condition like in Nepal.

  Very effect way to maintain sanitation and hygiene .
  It is applicable for developing countries in present condition like in Nepal.

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• Stephen-Pipes Afrifa 11 years ago

  This is a good concept and idea to relaunch the town council ( tankase) system in approaching sanitation in the country. However, but, there should be patriotic citizens who are not corrupt to be given that task because it ...
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  This is a good concept and idea to relaunch the town council ( tankase) system in approaching sanitation in the country. However, but, there should be patriotic citizens who are not corrupt to be given that task because it might fail if we go in with this same attitude from the MMDAs. They are the same people collecting money from these taxi and tro-tro drivers.
  
  There should be enough education on sanitation from the NCCE but nowadays I don't see them do such things in towns and schools as they used to do. Moreover, some of us Ghanaians refuse to learn because we know for sure irregular dumping of refuse is a threat to sanitation but they don't abide by the rules. Attitudinal change is a very important key to curb this sanitation problem.
  
  In Europe I don't think you need one to tell you to keep your surrounding clean, it's an attitudinal habit which you exhibit right from the go, so why don't we develop this as well. Sometimes I wonder if some people are just ignorant or do it on willingly knowing it's a bad habit. Ghana needs change of attitude.

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• richmond afrifa 11 years ago

  The best way to prevent malaria is to invent the olden days method of supervision.These current officials can not do this work effectively .

  The best way to prevent malaria is to invent the olden days method of supervision.These current officials can not do this work effectively .

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• Professor Appiah, USA 11 years ago

  Yes, I remember sanitary inspectors in the olden days. They did a great job. It makes me wonder if independence from British colonial rule was a good move.

  Yes, I remember sanitary inspectors in the olden days. They did a great job. It makes me wonder if independence from British colonial rule was a good move.

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• KOO FORI 11 years ago

  Population increase will make it difficult for the Tankase concept to work because NDC government cannot pay them. Bribery will render them ineffective.

  Population increase will make it difficult for the Tankase concept to work because NDC government cannot pay them. Bribery will render them ineffective.

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• Uncle Ebo 11 years ago

  It is really sad to experience a Country retrogressing despite the many schools springing up. Thank you Agya Attah.

  It is really sad to experience a Country retrogressing despite the many schools springing up. Thank you Agya Attah.

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• Stoph 11 years ago

  Bribery and corruption is so much engrained in the system that it will be very hard to bring back the effective old ways, but it is worth a try. Fines and awards are so arbitrary and outrageous in Ghana now that sometimes I w ...
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  Bribery and corruption is so much engrained in the system that it will be very hard to bring back the effective old ways, but it is worth a try. Fines and awards are so arbitrary and outrageous in Ghana now that sometimes I wonder what DRUGS our Judges and elected officials are on

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• MR GOODFACE 11 years ago

  This remind me of our post-independence era. These Tankase men were much feared than the police. They must to brought back to continue their good works

  This remind me of our post-independence era. These Tankase men were much feared than the police. They must to brought back to continue their good works

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• Kodzo 11 years ago

  It was the sanitary inspectors who were feared, not the Tankase guys. The Tankase guys did the cleaning. The inspectors could write charge chits that found you in court.

  It was the sanitary inspectors who were feared, not the Tankase guys. The Tankase guys did the cleaning. The inspectors could write charge chits that found you in court.

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• "Nana Nantwi 11 years ago

  Great, but i also think the emphasis on school hygien at the primary level should be more emphasized. Thanks

  Great, but i also think the emphasis on school hygien at the primary level should be more emphasized. Thanks

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• OHENEBA KOFI ADU 11 years ago

  THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST AND IN-DEPTH, WISDOM, FACTS AND HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE NATION NEEDS TO FOLLOW, OBSERVE AND IMPLEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
  
  THIS IS GREAT ARTICLE. BUT THE SAD THING IS THAT THE RULERS OF THE ...
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  THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST AND IN-DEPTH, WISDOM, FACTS AND HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE NATION NEEDS TO FOLLOW, OBSERVE AND IMPLEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
  
  THIS IS GREAT ARTICLE. BUT THE SAD THING IS THAT THE RULERS OF THE NATION ARE SLEEPING AND BUSY WITH UNNECESSARY AND UNPROFITABLE AGENDA.
  WELL DONE AND KEEP IT LIKE THAT ALWAYS.

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• S. ATTA OWUSU 11 years ago

  Thank you all for your nice comments. I am very grateful. Watch out for more articles from me.

  Thank you all for your nice comments. I am very grateful. Watch out for more articles from me.

  reply
• Daniel 11 years ago

  This is a very good article and also a reminder to the youth and the people of our dear nation. When we cast our mind back to some of the practices and system that were in use in the late 70's, 80's and 90's were very helpful ...
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  This is a very good article and also a reminder to the youth and the people of our dear nation. When we cast our mind back to some of the practices and system that were in use in the late 70's, 80's and 90's were very helpful to the nation but in actual fact some of them can't be introduce in the current Ghana. Unless the Government,the community and all the people (you and I) have a change of mind and attitude towers corruption.

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