By Deladem Nanevie
Tema, Feb. 27, GNA – Residents of the Tema Metropolis have expressed concern over persistent sewage challenges and recurring student clashes between senior high schools in the area.
The issues were raised during a Social Audit Meeting organised by the Tema Metro Office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) held at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s New Assembly Hall, where residents, teachers and students shared their grievances.
Participants highlighted leaking sewage systems, choked gutters, and the presence of suspected drug users around schools as pressing challenges affecting communities.
Ms Josephine Agbeko, a resident of Community One, Site 10, told the meeting that the old central sewer system in her area was no longer functioning properly.
She explained that although residents paid the official GH¢55 fee to report sewage problems, workers sometimes demanded additional payments when they arrived to attend to faults.
“The officials told me the old pipes are dead and need to be replaced. But if only one person agrees to pay for new pipes and neighbours do not contribute, the problem remains unresolved,” she said.
She further cited a major gutter near Best Point Savings and Loans which had been choked for months, causing flooding in the area whenever it rained.
Dr Lucy Akua Tetteh, an engineer and deputy head of the Waste Management Department, advised residents to report leaks to their office, assuring them that response teams would be dispatched to clear blockages and restore proper waste flow.
Beyond sanitation concerns, the meeting also addressed safety violations in schools within the metropolis.
Some students from Chemu Senior High Technical School, led by Mr Christian Carbonu, Patron of the school’s Civic Club, alleged that students from Tema Technical Institute frequently attacked them.
They noted that the police response to such incidents was often delayed, adding that the absence of a school bus compelled students to use public transport, where confrontations with rival schools sometimes occurred.
Other participants urged the Department of Social Welfare and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to monitor correctional facilities of housing juveniles to ensure proper treatment.
Concerns were also raised about child labour, with some residents alleging that certain parents forced their children to sell goods during school hours instead of attending classes.
Participants appealed to the assembly to intensify enforcement to ensure that all school-age children remained in school during the day.
The NCCE, as part of the programme, inaugurated a four-member committee to follow up on the concerns raised by the residents.
The committee comprises Mr Timothy Sowah, representing the Tema Metropolitan Inter-Party Dialogue Committee; Ms Gifty N.A. Tetteh of the Apostolic Church Ghana; Mr Robert Mensah Gbley, Head of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development; and Ms Matilda Mensah, a member of the Tema Market Association.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/ Kenneth Odeng Adade