The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has begun a special exercise to rid the streets of Accra of children and beggars.

Consequently, the exercise, which began on Thursday, had identified and picked up 200 persons, including children believed to be from Niger and Nigeria, on some ceremonial routes, streets, under bridges and in traffic, who were begging for alms from benevolent individuals.

This was made known in a statement signed by Mr Gilbert Nii Ankrah, the Head of the Public Affairs Department of the AMA. It said the exercise was in collaboration with the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly.

The areas the exercise covered included Mövenpick Hotel, Trades Union Congress (TUC), Cathedral, 37 Military Hospital, Airport City, Airport Junction and Accra Mall, Spanner Junction traffic light, and the Ghana Standards Board (Shiashie).

The statement assured the public that the AMA was working in close collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare towards the reformation and reintegration of these persons into society.

It said other areas that the exercise would be extended to are Kaneshie overhead bridge, Nima and Maamobi, and at traffic intersections at Sunny FM, Okponglo (Ghana Standards Authority) and Graphic Road stretch, the footbridges at the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, as well as bus terminals like the Neoplan Bus Stop at Achimota, Circle, Kaneshie and the Korle-Bu traffic light.

The statement, therefore, urged the public to co-operate with the AMA and desist from giving money to beggars on the streets as they would be violating the Beggars and Destitute Act, 1969 (PNDCL 392), which criminalises the act of begging and giving to beggars.