By Prince Acquah, GNA
Cape Coast, July 11, GNA –Twenty-five shops in the Cape Coast Metropolis were locked up by the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) sanitation taskforce, and the owners issued summons for breaching the sanitation directive, pending appropriate sanctions.
The task force led by Mr Justice George Arthur, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, is made up of metro health officers, city guards, police officers and an assistant director issued stern warning, saying the offenders would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
The team was monitoring the nationwide clean-up exercise which saw most institutions and businesses comply with the directive by suspending operations to participate in the exercise.
However, some recalcitrant residents and foreign nationals engaged in retail trading within the Kotokuraba business district defied the directive, prompting the task force to seize their wares and lock up their shops.
The massive clean-up exercise across the city, formed part of the two-day nationwide sanitation campaign declared by the President.
The exercise started on Friday from 06:00 hours to 13:00 hours, and most offices, schools, banks, market centres and shops remained closed as residents swept streets, markets and workplaces, desilted heavily choked drains, and weeded overgrown medians and other public spaces, leaving the city cleaner and rejuvenated.
Personnel from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Immigration Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) cleaned designated areas, including the stretch from Bakaano Roundabout to Bakaano Gas Filling Station, Siwdo Methodist to Kingsway Pharmacy.
The rests are, Stay Cool Chop Bar to the Abura PPAG Junction, Academy of Christ the King to the Academy New Town Junction, Ekon Junction, and Coronation Junction to London Bridge.
To support the exercise, Mr Ju Arthur, presented sanitation logistics comprising 100 wheelbarrows, 240 pairs of boots, 240 shovels, 245 rakes, 470 pairs of gloves, 235 cutlasses and 470 long brooms for distribution to the 45 elected assembly members in the metropolis.
The exercise also received logistical support from Zoomlion and the DRIP Office, which deployed various equipment and machinery.
Some residents who participated in the exercise complained about inadequate sanitation logistics.
Mr Arthur described the exercise as highly successful and commended institutions, businesses and residents for their participation.
He said the President’s directive aligned with the assembly’s sanitation agenda for the year, noting that sanitation featured prominently in its budget and informed the procurement of the logistics used for the exercise.
Mr Arthur further disclosed that the assembly had procured about 500 street bulbs to improve lighting across the city.
He acknowledged that the sanitation logistics might not be sufficient but urged assembly members to utilise them effectively to keep their electoral areas clean.
GNA
‎Edited by Alice Tettey /Kenneth Odeng Adade
‎Reporter: Prince AcquahÂ
[email protected]Â Â