By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, April 27, GNA – Eighty-seven persons have been arrested in the Assin North District for various sanitation offences within four months.
Of the number, 82, who were served notices to correct their infractions complied and were freed, one had been prosecuted, a bench warrant issued for another and three currently being prosecuted.
The three in court are Ama Nyame, 68, Esi Bosompim, 55 and Samuel Afenyi, 35, all from Assin Achianio, a farming community.
They had been charged with non-compliance of notice, straying of animals, causing damage, obstructing public officers and crude dumping.
They will reappear in the Assin Fosu Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, May 22.
Mr Samuel Eklu Fiankor, the District Environmental Prosecutor, told the Ghana News Agency that ensuring tidy environment in the District was non-negotiable and a collective responsibility.
“We will go all out against those who continue to flout sanitation laws to keep the District clean.”
With climate crisis and environmental degradation making the headlines lately, he said it was important to switch to sustainable living practices to save the environment, and the planet.
To save the planet and us, he said it was imperative to switch to sustainable ways of living through waste segregation.
“Segregating waste is important to maintain a clean environment, prevent contamination, reduce pollution, and prevent disease outbreaks,” he indicated.
It is essential to identify useful degradable waste that can be used as manure or organic fertilizers, reducing landfill impact and improving air and water quality.
He said environmental cleanliness should be the concern of traditional rulers, religious bodies, institutions and every individual, adding that issues of sanitation should not be the concern of Government and the Assemblies alone.
“Regular clean-ups will help prevent the breeding of mosquitoes and eliminate malaria, since filth and pollution are artificial nuisance,” he said and urged community members to work hard to ensure a clean environment.
He also urged stakeholders in health to embark on public health awareness campaigns to highlight the negative effect of filth on the environment.
“Let us all endeavour to participate in clean-up exercises to prevent outbreaks such as cholera and other sanitation related diseases.”
GNA