Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Alhassan Shani Shaibu, has warned that the two acting Metropolitan and Municipal Chief Executives (MMCEs) of the Sagnarigu and Tamale Metropolis will be sanctioned for failing to lead the Clean Northern Region exercise at their various jurisdictions.
He said the two have not officially communicated their reason for not participating since the inception of the exercise.
The Minister on May 20, launched the Clean Northern Region campaign which sought to eliminate filth, promote good health and improve sanitation in the region.
At the launch, the Minister instituted the last Saturday of every month as a day for the exercise.
But the Minister is not happy that the two personalities, who are government representatives at the local level, have failed to participate in an exercise that is of national interest.
Speaking at the event in Tamale, Mr Shani said the conduct of the two MCEs was something the authorities will look into and the appropriate sanctions applied.
“Currently, the Mayor of Tamale is out of town and the MCE for Sagnarigu is also out of town but I do not know their whereabouts even though they’re in offices in an acting capacity,” he said.
The Minister said the exercise is an initiative he will do everything within his powers to ensure it succeeds.
“Of course, I should be worried as the coordinator of these agents, in my capacity as the regional minister I’m supposed to coordinate activities of these MMDAs and if an exercise of this nature is going on in the region and they are not here and I don’t have an explanation then the authorities will look into the matter and the appropriate action taken,” Alhaji Shani said.
The Minister thanked the security service and other state agencies for supporting the exercise.
The Public Relations Officer of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Amadu Mustapha, said the assembly as part of plans to deal with sanitation within the metropolis will introduce pay as you dump tax especially in some major markets within the metropolis where the huge waste is generated.
He said the policy will help the assembly contain rubbish in these markets and to create an enabling environment for trading activities.