General News of Thursday, 21 August 2003

Source: ADM

EDITORIAL: Garbage Pile-Up in Accra

One major urban problem confronting the new Minister for the Modernisation of the National Capital is garbage disposal.

Currently sitting in front of many houses are heaps of bags of domestic garbage uncollected for several days. Not only that, but containers placed at public places are also brimming over with garbage waiting to be lifted and disposed of properly.

What is happening, if we may ask? These are serious issues of public health, which somehow, individuals or institutions in charge seem not to be bothering about.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly which clearly is responsible for waste management in the national capital is locked in a protracted litigation with the waste collection sub contractors in the city which obviously is leading to the pile-ups.

That is not good enough because garbage heaps and modernization of the city cannot go hand in hand.

This is where ADM would like the Minister to step in if AMA is at its wits end regarding waste management in the city.

With his ministerial mandate, he should be able to take some robust decisions and get things moving since these garbage pile-ups do not give his city a good image at all.

Residents are ready to pay what is expected of them, all that they expect is a free-flowing service that they can rely on.

This is not an issue we wish to belabour, it speaks for itself so please, please, please, those in charge, please let's get the garbage collected before some garbage-related epidemic hits the city.