Kumasi — A Sanitation Court is currently under construction by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to try sanitation and other related cases.

The Court is to ensure that the city of Kumasi becomes clean, and also make the people of the city adhere to some simple bye-laws of the KMA.

In an interview with the Public Relations Officer of the KMA, Mr. Godwin Okuma Nyame, he disclosed that the assembly had already taken the decision to establish a sanitation court somewhere last year, and since then a building in which the court would operate had been awarded on contract.

According to Mr. Nyame, when completed, the proposed court would help to speed up the trial of sanitation and other waste management-related cases in the metropolis.

He explained that the reason for establishing the court was not because offenders were not being prosecuted, but the need for a court solely for sanitation issues which could also speed up trials when processed before it.

He noted that despite several educational campaigns undertaken by the KMA on the need to keep the environment clean, most residents have decided to pay deaf ears to such education.

In order to get them on track with the city authorities, the assembly has taken the decision to come out with a court to prosecute those problematic residents, who see nothing wrong with littering the environment.

The KMA PRO said, "It is the expectation of KMA to have the project completed this year, in order to get things going as expected by the city authorities."

Answering a question on how sanitation offenders are dealt with currently, Mr. Nyame hinted that despite the on-going education in the city, some residents still take the law into their hands, adding, "as you know, the law does not permit ignorance, and for that matter, as at now, the law would take its course, by dealing with any offender."

He, therefore, advised residents not to throw garbage around as the law would deal with such offenders.

On sanitation situation in Kumasi and its environs, Mr. Nyame revealed that the situation was better, as the KMA's sanitation department was working seriously to ensure that the metropolis is kept clean.