Henry Quartey interacts with some traders at Tudu
The ‘Operation Clean Your Frontage’ initiative, aimed at improving the sanitation situation of Accra, took off successfully yesterday.
Leading the charge is the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, under his ‘Let’s Make Accra Work’ agenda in line with President Akufo-Addo’s desire of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa by the end of his tenure.
The exercise yesterday was characterised by a massive sensitisation on the project in various parts of the city as well as a bye-law that mandates landlords and property owners to keep the frontages of their homes, offices and proprieties as well as their immediate surroundings clean at all times.
Starting Point
In the early hours of yesterday, the Regional Minister and his team, together with about 5,500 personnel, made up of 2,000 from the security services; 2,000 from the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Zoomlion Ghana; and 1,500 from the National Service Scheme (NSS), converged on the Black Star Square for briefings and deployment to various parts of the city.
Locations
Some key areas covered in the exercise included the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Odawna, Lapaz, Okaishie, CMB, Kinbu (Tudu), Kaneshie (from First Light to Obetsebi Lamptey Circle), Farisco and the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra.
Circle Resistance
Prior to the arrival of the minister at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, a caterpillar was at the scene to demolish some unauthorised structures.
Traders resisted the attempt as they surrounded the vehicle and the driver, and in the process broke its windscreen.
But for the intervention of police personnel on ground, it would have been a nasty scene.
The Regional Minister led an entourage of security service and media personnel as well as officials from some municipal assemblies on a tour of various markets, streets and communities, interacting with traders and hawkers to ensure that they move off the streets into the markets.
Minister’s Remarks
The minister, in an interview with the media, recounted the activities of the day and lauded the efforts of his team for the commitment and hard work to the cause.
He said the tour was to intensify education and sensitisation of residents for them to be conscious of their environment and keep it clean at all times.
On the incident at Circle, he narrated that per reports available to him, some structures there were at unauthorised places which had been there for four years.
The owners, he stated, were given notices once in every month to vacate the place but they played adamant “so the Assembly decided to take action.”
On the reception of the initiative by the public, he revealed that he observed during his tour, that most traders had already moved off the streets.
“Even they [the traders] admit the fact that they have to move off the streets. We’re not out there to beat anyone. Our men have been cautioned not to use violence. The idea is to send the message to them – to create that awareness, to make that awakening call,” Mr. Quartey stressed.
Compliance
To ensure that the traders and hawkers do not return to the streets, the minister intimated that a City Response Team was currently undergoing training with the first batch expected to pass out in March.
The team, he explained, would ensure that there is strict compliance to the directive and that the traders and hawkers do not return to the streets.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio