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Municipal Assemblies appear neglecting their functions - GAMA Coordinator

Coordinator of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Water Project, Engineer George Aseidu has noted that Assemblies appear to have neglected their function hence in indiscriminate building of structures and disposal of wastes.

Date Created : 9/9/2019 7:45:54 AM : Story Author : Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanadistricts.com

According to him, the Assemblies have environmental officers but, bye-laws are not being enforced. “They have relaxed on the laws and people are doing just anything that please them. The worse of it is the fact that it is the Assemblies that are supposed to give permit for people to build, but it is done anyhow all over the place, creating slums all under the watch of the Municipal Assemblies”.

He made this remarks in the wake of persistent flooding in most parts of the capital, a situation that compelled GAMA with support of the World Bank to construct bigger drains in selected areas in the capital to reduce flooding drastically.

“You do not expect the President to come down to the local level to address issues of waste disposal and haphazard building, there are Chief Executives of the various Assemblies hence decentralization is to give power to the people at the local level”.

He called on municipal assemblies to up their game and make sure they do what they are supposed to do, and not only waiting for Common Fund to build schools, but make provision to deal with waste collection and disposal.

If you construct drains and they dump waste into them what do we do to them, if they know there would not be sanctions they would continue to do it. GAMA is spending money educating people, and advertising to create awareness but if we do not enforce the law people would not do the right thing, this is one thing that is going against us”.