The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) on Wednesday expressed worry over illegal structures in the metropolis.

Addressing the First Ordinary Meeting of the Second Session of the Fifth General Assembly of the STMA at Sekondi, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Captain (rtd) Anthony Cudjoe, said investigations conducted by the Assembly revealed that some Assembly Members and building inspectors connived with developers to place containers and kiosks at unauthorized places.

He said such unfortunate activities had resulted in perennial flooding of the twin-city since the structures blocked waterways and preventing free flow of running water to the main drainage system.

To halt the menace, the MCE indicated that the Assembly had directed the Technical Department of the Assembly including the Works Department, Physical Planning and Development Planning Department to step-up their supervisory roles.

Captain Cudjoe added that the Executive Committee of the Assembly had recommended that the Assembly purchase a vehicle for the Building Inspectorate Unit of the Works Department in ensuring effective monitoring.

With the onset of the rains, the Assembly had decided to undertake monthly clean-up of all the drains in the metropolis to avert flooding, he noted.

Captain Cudjoe therefore entreated the assembly members to report any heap of garbage in their electoral areas to the Heads of the Waste Management Department for quick evacuation.

He said the Assembly would buy more refuse containers so that the piling up of refuse in the twin-city would be avoided.

The MCE said that the Metropolis had been re-zoned into four areas and handed over to qualified and competent waste management providers for self-financing in order to bring efficiency in waste management and also reduce drastically the Assembly’s bill on waste management.

The Mayor of the twin-city, expressed joy over the 90 per cent completion of an engineered landfill site at Sofokrom that would contain liquid and solid waste in the metropolis and expressed the hope that soon, tarring of an access road would commence.

Captain Cudjoe indicated that, decongestion exercise of the central business district of the Takoradi Market Circle would be enforced to reduce the pressure on the facilities there.

He disclosed that the Assembly intended to privatise the Jubilee Park to ensure efficient administration of the park to bring more revenue to the assembly.

Touching on the ongoing biometric registration exercise, the MCE said the exercise had been smooth so far in the metropolis and entreated the assembly members to continue with the education of the electorate to register in order to exercise their franchise in the December General Elections.**