Osei Assibey Antwi
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has once again chalked another milestone in its resolve to rapidly reclaim Kumasi’s past ‘Garden City’ status.
Through the visionary leadership of the KMA Chief Executive, Osei Assibey Antwi, 150 sanitation crusaders have been trained to complement the efforts of the KMA Sanitation Department to help make Kumasi clean.
The 150 trainees – all National Service personnel – were thoroughly trained by some selected sanitation experts for three days on the modern standards of sanitation regulations and processes.
They were tutored in courses such as Health Education, Food Hygiene, Operations of Waste Management and Environmental Protection and Standard Enforcement, among other courses and principles.
The trainees passed out during a colourful ceremony in Kumasi on Thursday, which was graced by Mr Assibey Antwi and other KMA top officials.
Per the scope of their duties, the trainees would, starting from October 16 to November 30, 2017, be visiting homes, churches, mosques, markets and all other places to educate the public about sanitation.
During that period, anyone who would be found throwing waste at unapproved places in the city would be advised by the sanitation crusaders to do the right thing.
But the grace period that would be given to people who breach sanitation laws in the city would come to an end by December 1, 2017.
From that day onwards anyone arrested for dumping refuse indiscriminately would face the consequences.
Such sanitation offenders would either be made to pay a spot fine by the crusaders or sent to the KMA Sanitation Court in Kumasi to face prosecution.
Mayor’s Remarks
In an address, Mr Osei Assibey stated that the efforts of the 150 sanitation crusaders would go a long way to boost the KMA’s resolve of making Kumasi the most beautiful city in West Africa very soon.
According to him, it is his dream to work assiduously to make Kumasi clean and green so that he would be remembered for that feat even after he had left office, stressing that nothing could prevent him from achieving that.
The Kumasi Mayor observed that the city used to attract a lot of tourists when the city was known as the ‘Garden City of West Africa’ and as a result, businesses also flourished, but sadly those good times are now history since filth had taken over the city.
Mr Osei Assibey therefore charged the crusaders to implement what they had been taught to the letter so that in no time Kumasi would regain its ‘Garden City’ status, and boost tourism and businesses.
According to him, he is confident that the efforts of the group would help stop flooding in the city – caused by choked gutters – and make the cost of waste collection cheaper.
From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi