Ashaiman, Jan. 29, GNA- The Ashaiman Zonal Council on Wednesday suggested the re-introduction of health inspectors to ensure cleanliness within the communities.

This would make people conscious of themselves and help to improve sanitary conditions in the township as was in the past. Members of the council were discussing a three-year development plan for the township at a public hearing sponsored by IBIS Ghana, a Danish non- governmental organisation and a long-time development partner of the Council.

The plan was formulated in accordance with the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS).

Ashaiman has been battling with unsanitary conditions, crime wave and a high prevalence of the HIV/AIDS.

The forum deplored the practice of some house owners converting toilet facilities to living rooms and entreated them to provide these basic facilities to improve sanitation in the town.

Council members also called for the rehabilitation of old public toilets and the construction of new ones.

While calling on the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) to enforce its by-laws on sanitation to the letter, the forum urged it to provide dust bins at vantage points as a measure against indiscriminate littering. Mr Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Municipal Chief Executive announced that refuse tolls for Ashaiman had been reduced from 8,000 cedis to 4,000 cedis to encourage the residents to pay the fees promptly. He urged residents to cooperate and pay the fees without coercion and warned that defaulters would be dealt with accordingly.

Mr Narh said development of Ashaiman was on course and that a football park would be built for the town by June this year. He however, warned residents to cultivate the culture of maintenance to ensure that projects last longer to benefit present and succeeding generation. Mrs Ericka Mamley Osae, a facilitator of IBIS Ghana, expressed disgust about the sanitation situation at Ashaiman and expressed the organisation's readiness to meet officials of the TMA to see how best they could offer assistance to help the residents out of the predicament.

In order to achieve success in this area, she called for unity among all the leaders and tasked them to be educating their community members on the need to keep clean environment. 29 Jan 04