Bawku, Sept 11, GNA - The Bawku East Municipality Director of Environmental Health services, Madam Elizabeth Ntabase, has deployed the uncooperative attitude of people towards vital sanitation issues confronting the area.

She observed that the people hardly attach any serious considerations to sanitary issues when mobilized to offer communal labour, but rather pay attention to other issues to the detriment of their health needs.

Madam Nyabase made these observations at the launch of this year's National Sanitation Week celebration on Wednesday at Bawku, in the Upper East Region.

The week, which is the third since its inception, is aimed at sensitising the populace on the need to maintain a good sanitary conditions.

With this year's "Sanitation - Essential for Good health and Higher Productivity", a route match pass which proceeded the launch, was undertaken through some principal streets in the Bawku township.

Madam Nyabase noted that turn-up for the once-in-month communal labour had been a big failure and this posed danger to environmental sanitation.

She said their attitude need to be changed in order to have a congenial environment to carry out their activities devoid of health problems.

Madam Nyabase stated that the agency had started prosecuting seven environmental offences and warned that her outfit would not relent in its determination to prosecute other offenders.

The Bawku East Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Abdul Rahman Gumah, also expressed concern about the apathetic behaviour of the people, expecting government to clean their surroundings.

Mr Gumah said when such preventive measures are employed, resources that are used to treat sanitation-related diseases could be channelled into productive ventures to the benefit of the people.

He said the assembly had constructed 150 household latrine out of a targeted 3,000 through the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) to minimise indiscriminate defecation in townships.

The MCE also stated that the problem of indiscriminate dumping of refuse would be a thing of the past as soon as it gets its share of refuse containers.

He urged Assembly members to educate their electorate to pay particular attention to sanitary issues to rid the Municipality of filth to ensure good health.

Mr Gumah expressed appreciation to the various NGOs for their support to the Assembly on sanitation issues and urged them to continue to assist in sustaining a healthy environment. Sept. 11 04