20 Arrested, Over 60 Shops Locked At Mankessim For Skipping National Sanitation Day Exercise.
Twenty people have been arrested while more than 60 shops have been locked in Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region for refusing to participate in the President’s National Sanitation Day exercise.
The exercise, which formed part of the government’s renewed efforts to improve environmental cleanliness and promote proper sanitation practices, saw officials from the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly, supported by security personnel, embark on an enforcement operation across the municipality.
The arrested individuals were mainly shop owners and traders who allegedly defied a directive from the Municipal Assembly to close their businesses and join the community-wide clean-up exercise.
Several shops that remained open during the exercise were locked by the task force, while the owners were taken into custody.
Speaking in an interview with Douglas Oyiboh Amponsah, the Municipal Chief Executive for Mfantseman, Hon. Eric Stanley Acquah, said the Assembly had given prior notice to all shop owners, food vendors and business operators to suspend commercial activities and actively participate in the sanitation exercise.
According to the MCE, despite the public announcements and repeated warnings, some residents deliberately ignored the directive, compelling the Assembly and the security agencies to enforce the law.
He disclosed that the 20 suspects would be processed and arraigned before court to explain why they failed to comply with the Assembly’s directive.
Hon. Eric Stanley Acquah stressed that the Municipal Assembly is determined to enforce sanitation regulations without fear or favour, adding that maintaining a clean environment is a shared responsibility that must be taken seriously by all residents.
He further assured that the Assembly would intensify sanitation enforcement and ensure that National Sanitation Day exercises are strictly observed across the municipality to improve public health and environmental hygiene.
The MCE therefore urged residents to support the initiative by participating fully in future clean-up exercises and complying with directives issued by the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the leader of the enforcement team explained that the operation was carried out peacefully with the support of the police and other security agencies.
He warned that anyone who refuses to comply with future sanitation directives would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
He called on traders, transport operators and residents to cooperate with the Assembly to help maintain a clean and healthy environment throughout the municipality.
Story by Douglas Oyiboh Amponsah.
