More than 60 residents and business operators in the Ayawaso North Municipality were on Tuesday summoned and made to tidy up their surroundings.
A motor repair shop in the municipality was also locked up for operating on the road and damaging public property.
This was when the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly (ANMA) embarked on a pilot exercise of the “Operation Clean your Frontage” campaign in the municipality in Accra.
Partnered by the Ayawaso East, Ayawaso Central and Ayawaso West Municipal Assemblies, the exercise formed part of efforts aimed at “making Accra work again.”
The exercise, which is under the auspices of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), was led by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of ANMA, Mohammed Zakaria, and some health officers of partnership assemblies.
Addressing the media, Mr Zakaria said it was mandatory for all individuals and corporate entities to ensure that their environment was tidied.
Adding that, “no one is going to be pardoned for flaunting the orders. Just as I have summoned my brother for not ensuring the entire cleanliness of his frontage to underline the firmness in ensuring that the work was done as it is supposed to be.”
He said this was because of the backing of by-laws that had been passed and gazetted by the 29 Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Zakaria stressed that the operation had been successful, adding that “and at the same time it is creating awareness. The ‘samansaman’ of the old days is back, kind courtesy of our hardworking regional Minister, Henry Quartey.”
He indicated that persons who had been summoned were to go to the Assembly “for questioning and other sanctions apart from prosecution.”
Meanwhile, the ANMA MCE said a taskforce had been set up from the assemblies who would see to the enforcement of the campaign from February 1.
“Taskforce has been set up but now what we have done is that forces have been drawn from three assemblies; Ayawaso East, Ayawaso Central and Ayawaso West, teaming up with Ayawaso North, my assembly,” he stated, adding that “so I hope and believe they would comply.”
Pertaining the need for more education and sensitisation on the exercise, he said more public education and sensitisation activities would help but the enforcement of the law and its attendant sanctions would make people more obedient.
“Each and every person operating businesses and households must clean their surroundings. That is the realisation now and the assembly will stick to it and apply the law,” he added.