Sanitation exercise hijacked

THE NATIONAL Sanitation Day exercise, introduced by government to keep the country clean, virtually became a party affair at Aboabo in the Asawase Constituency on Saturday.

Scores of National Democratic Congress (NDC) sympathizers and supporters stormed the event grounds with party paraphernalia, which clearly made the event a political party programme.

These ‘charged’ NDC faithful were heard chanting party slogans and dancing to popular NDC tunes as they moved from one end of Aboabo to another, amid ‘Eye Zu Eye Za’ shouts.

The display of NDC colours affected the turn up for the April edition of the national programme, as people who are not NDC supporters in the area, which falls under the Asokore Mampong Municipality, stayed away.

Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, leaders when it comes to issues of sanitation in the country, teamed up with the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly, to organize the sanitation exercise at Aboabo.

Ashanti Regional Minister, John Alexander Ackon, Asawase Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka and Asokore Mampong MCE, Nurudeen Hamidan, were present.

Mr. Kofi Sekyere Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Boss of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, Francis Dodovi, Spokesperson for the Ashanti Regional Minister and other party big wigs in the NDC, also took part in the exercise.

They cleared choked gutters and removed garbage from the streets and corners of Aboabo. Zoomlion Ghana Ltd staff were also seen fumigating the gutters to stop the breeding of mosquitoes.

John Alexander Ackon, the Ashanti Regional Minister, said the huge presence of the NDC supporters on the day doesn’t mean that the national sanitation day exercise had become an NDC affair or programme.

He said the March edition of the exercise in Kumasi was dominated by music and movie stars, noting that NPP, CPP and members of the other political parties in the country, are eligible to take part in the exercise as the NDC members did.

Alexander Ackon expressed satisfaction about the huge numbers that the exercise attracted, admonishing the populace to always avail themselves for sanitation programmes to help make Ghana clean.

Kofi Sekyere Boateng, the Zoomlion Ghana Ltd head in the region, said his outfit provided trucks, tricycles and other equipment to help cart away garbage cleared from the choked gutters to approved sites.