Twenty-five shop owners in Cape Coast have been summoned to soon appear before court for failing to comply with directives issued by President John Dramani Mahama over the two-day observance of the National Sanitation Day on Friday.
The enforcement action follows an inspection by officials of the Metropolitan Assembly, who monitored compliance with the mandatory clean-up exercise aimed at improving environmental sanitation and promoting public health within the metropolis in order to improve drainage systems to guard against overflowing gutters which results to flood at slightest downpour.
Hon. George Justice Arthur, Mayor for Cape Coast, addressing the media after the clean-up exercise relayed that the said shop owners allegedly refused to clean the frontages of their business premises or failed to participate in the exercise, contrary to the sanitation directives issued ahead of the nationwide campaign.
The Cape Coast Mayor reiterated the Assembly’s determination to enforce sanitation regulations without fear or favour.
“Environmental cleanliness is a collective responsibility. We will not hesitate to prosecute individuals or businesses who disregarded the President’s sanitation directives to compromise the public,” the Mayor stated.
Prior to the clean-up exercise, the Assembly had procured some sanitation equipments such as wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, hand gloves and others, which were distributed to the Assembly Members to be use in their electoral areas for the sanitation exercise.
Meanwhile the Central Regional Director of Education, Dr. Mrs. Juliette Dufie Otami, who joined in cleaning up various second cycle institutions in Cape Coast like Adisadel College, advised students to uphold clean-up exercise as a daily necessity to augment a healthy environment.
Dr. Otami also advocated for tree planting by students. She elaborated that trees will serve as windbreaks and also acts as landmarks for reference when students return for annual celebrations.
The Director-General of Ghana Education Service, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, as part of his tour in schools, visited the Adisadel College during clean-up exercise, where he commended the work done.
Prof. Davis urged students at the school to extend sanitation practices to the dormitories, into their chop boxes and others so to ensure good hygiene and be free from diseases and called for discipline among the students.
