An octogenarian resident of Tema has bemoaned the choked and stench emitting gutters behind the Tema Metropolitan Assembly Headquarters’ building and charged its management to show leadership in sanitation.

According to Mr Gilbert Saba, 85, until the surroundings and drains around the property of the Assembly are well kept, it would not have the moral authority to prosecute residents for sanitation infractions.

Mr Saba, who visited the Ghana News Agency offices in Tema, to speak about “ the burden in my heart” said, “something needs to be done about Tema’s fading glory and beauty because it has really become an eyesore.”

“I belong to the first generation of residents in Tema. In those days, you could feel the freshness of life in all its forms in Tema. Tema has lost its green belt, open parks and places to loud music drinking bars, containers and permanent concrete structures. There are no places to relax and meditate. Now I ask myself, what went wrong? Why did we allow such a beautiful and well-planned settlement to become such an embarrassment?”

He urged the media to give attention to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies because their negligence and incompetence imparted directly on the quality of life of the people.

“It is alright to look into the affairs of big businesses and central government but your watchdog role is more crucial at the local level where all the negatives we see in our politics are nurtured and nourished. The petty corruption, crimes and vote buying that we overlook at the local level are carried onto the national stage.”

He said, “ I pray that Tema will see some renaissance before I say my farewell but in the meantime, the management of TMA should practice what they preach. After all, they have all the resources to clean a common drain.”