Former President Jerry Rawlings
FORMER PRESIDENT Jerry John Rawlings has pointed out that he would jail at least three persons every week until Accra becomes a clean city again, if he was the mayor of the city.
He believes that a radical approach of punishing people who flout sanitation laws is the best way of dealing with the filth in the capital city.
The former president, who was recently made the sanitation ambassador by the mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mohammed Adjei Sowah, stated that Ghanaians are fortunate that the honour conferred on him is only ceremonial, otherwise, he would have put people behind bars over sanitation offenses.
Mr. Rawlings’ comments followed the honour, which was in recognition of his campaign for a clean environment.
Delivering a speech at this year’s Asafotufiam Festival at Ada in the Greater Accra Region on Saturday, Mr Jerry Rawlings noted, “You are lucky the position given to me is just a ceremonial one. If I was acting in the actual capacity, I would jail about three to five people a week till Accra becomes clean again.”
He raised concerns about the appalling state of sanitation in Accra, where some people dump refuse indiscriminately, thereby turning the capital into a den of filth.
The former rule,r who spoke passionately, asked Ghanaians to be more patriotic and called for concerted efforts by all to take sanitation serious to reverse the disturbing trend.
According to him, “It is disheartening and very unpleasant. Those who collect rubbish come to dump them at the roadside. Let’s be a little more patriotic by arresting these persons and teach them a lesson.”
He stated, “Typhoid, hepatitis B, and cholera are prevalent in our country because of this attitude. Because of this, we all need inoculation. Let’s make things work. This government inherited an ailing state and if we don’t come together to rebuild this country, we will all suffer.”
The Deputy Minister of Interior, Henry Quartey, who spoke on behalf of President Akufo-Addo, noted that the fight against galamsey would be unabated in order to protect the environment, especially the country’s water bodies.
According to him, much as the menace is a national issue, it will be fought without fear or favour.
He further said that Nana Addo’s administration is determined to fight against corruption irrespective of the personalities involved.
The Deputy Minister, who doubles as a legislator, asked the people of Ada to use the festival to boost tourism in order to generate revenue for the development of the area.
From Vincent Kubi, Big Ada