By Prince Acquah
Cape Coast, Sept 1, GNA – Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, has asked all Assemblies to establish taskforces to clamp down on bad sanitation and other environmental vices affecting the region.
The task forces are to embark on intensive education campaigns, sponsored by the Assemblies, to address the issues of open defecation, sand winning, and improper disposal of refuse, among other adverse practices.
They will comprise personnel of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), nonformal education, Parks and Gardens, Community Development, Social Welfare and Environmental Health Departments.
Mrs Assan announced that all environmental health officers would be reshuffled with immediate effect to make them productive.
She raised the concerns at the Central Regional Coordinating Council’s meeting, which deliberated on various developmental issues including security, health, education and agriculture.
She said filth had engulfed some municipalities and districts and that was inimical to the agenda of making the region an investment and tourism hub.
The situation also posed grave health risks to residents, which did not augur well for the development of the region, she added.
Officials present at the meeting included metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, presiding members, representatives of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, heads of departments and the regional police commanders of Central and Central East.
Mrs Assan reiterated the urgent need to always keep the region clean to realise the desired development.
“We need to put our collective shoulders to the wheel and solve the canker. We cannot tout ourselves as the heartbeat of tourism and be engulfed by filth,” she stressed.
“As members of Council, you should show interest in whatever is happening in your district,” she said, adding that “MMDAs should commit resources into ending open defecation.”
GNA