Public Agenda (Accra)
18 August 2008
editorial
An interesting scenario happened at the Central Region last week. Kojo Mensah, a farmer from Assin Kushea in the Assin North District was on Wednesday fined GH¢20 by the Assin Fosu magistrate's court for living in unkempt environment. Mensah who pleaded guilty to the charges will go to prison for one month if he fails to pay the fine.
Prosecuting Mr Charles Quainoo, District Environmental Health Officer told the court that on June 18, this year, Assin Fosu District Environmental health officers on routine inspection entered the premises of Mensah and realised that the house was overgrown with weeds with fowl droppings all over the place.
Similarly, the Assin Fosu District magistrate's court sentenced Ama Felicia, a native of Assin Kushea, to a fine of GH¢20 for improperly disposing of waste, including human excrement.
Felicia, who pleaded guilty to the charges will go to jail for one month in default.
Prosecuting, District Environmental Health Officer, Mr. Charles Quainoo, told the court that on June 18, this year, officers on routine inspection detected that Felicia had buried human excrement on her premises.
The same Assin Fosu District Magistrate's court bonded Nii Kwaw, a farmer from Assin Dome, to be of good behaviour for six months, after he was found guilty of unauthorized entry into a wildlife protected area at Assin Homaho.
Interestingly, the above cases of environmental degradation took place at Assin Fosu in the Central Region. Ordinarily, the cases would give the false impression that people in at Assin Fosu do not keep their environments clean or have little regard for the environment. The converse is that the District Environmental Officers at the district are rather doing a good job of ensuring good sanitation by enforcing the rules.
The reverse is the case in Accra, our capital, touted as the gateway to West Africa. Sometimes one wonders whether Accra deserves to be called the capital city of Ghana. This is one part of our world where there is complete disregard for the environment. One not only sees children defecating openly in drains, but adults doing same in the full glare of passersby. For 24 hours each day adult men are seen openly defecating in the Odaw Drain as commuters go up and down.
This is done even in the full glare of tourists heading for Cape Coast and Elimina yet we pride ourselves as very hospitable people. How can we be hospitable when we greet our cherished tourists with filth and hope they will see a good picture about Ghana? I doubt whether first time visitors will like to return to see our city engulfed in filth.
If those degrading the environment will suffer the consequences alone, we have no qualms. The sad twist, however, is that everybody, far and near suffer the result of poor sanitation. Remember as Sheikh I.C. Quaye said sometime back, mosquitoes, which thrive in filth do not need visas to go anywhere in Accra.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly and other municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies should take a cue from the Assin Fosu District Environmental Office by enforcing the environmental by-laws if we are to redeem our image of lovely people. Courts in other districts should also emulate the examples of the Assin Fosu Circuit Court by imposing stiffer penalties on those with little regard for the environment.
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