AMA to clamp down stray animals & their owners

The Accra Metropolitan Chief Executiv, Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije has given indications that his outfit would, in the coming days, clamp down on stray animals and their owners in the capital, Accra.

The mayor said “we are taking steps to ensure that those rearing animals confine them to stop them from straying and defecating on the streets, and animals whose owners could not be traced would be auctioned while identified owners would be fined.

Dr Vanderpuije, who said this at the Assembly’s 2016 first session held in Accra, commended the staff and the assembly members for the good work done during the period.

In the sewage management sector, Dr Vanderpuije conceded that there were many challenges, but said a sewage treatment plant at a cost of 15 million dollars has been constructed to ensure that households, schools and other institutions disposed their liquid waste as expected.

Dr. Vanderpuije said the Assembly had prosecuted about 1,032 cases of sanitation offenders and realized GHc 139,568 which was paid into the consolidated fund.

Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije called on Assembly members to work hard to sustain its remarkable performance in revenue collection.

He said the Assembly generated GHc 32,145,749.12 for the year 2014, but was able to bag an amount of GHc 35,800,000.00 for 2015, exceeding its projected figure by 11 percent.

He urged them to be guided by the principle of perseverance and the sense of purpose in this New Year.

The AMA boss urged suppliers and contractors to register with the AMA for their companies to be hooked on the Ghana Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) database for easy preparation and payments of their bills.

Dr Vanderpuije also called on the assembly members to educate their electorate on the importance of the payment of rates to help generate more funds to transform the city.

He said the Assembly with the support from the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID), the World Bank and the Chinese Embassy initiated a number of projects including the construction of the Millennium City Schools with science laboratories, an Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre and library to boost the academic excellence of school children in the metropolis.