Mr Samuel Sarpong, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), has encouraged residents in the Zongo communities to maintain high standards of environmental sanitation to prevent diseases.

He asked the people to do away with unhygienic practices to save the nation from spending huge sums of money treating and managing avoidable diseases.

Mr Sarpong was speaking at a meeting with Zongo chiefs and council of elders at Sabon-Zongo, a suburb of Kumasi, after he had inspected on-going drainage works in the area being carried out by the Department of Urban Roads.

He noted that cholera, typhoid and malaria, the commonly seen cases at the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the health facilities could be significantly reduced if preventive measures were adopted.

The MCE said work would start on the sinking of 20 mechanised boreholes to provide uninterrupted water supply to people in the area at the end of this month.

He said the KMA was aware of the growing population and the pressure on existing social facilities in the area and would therefore strife to reverse the situation.

Mr Sarpong appealed to the Zongo chiefs and elders to discourage the youth from political violence and other bad conduct that could ruin the December polls.

He cautioned the youth not to allow themselves to be manipulated by politicians for their self-serving political agenda.

Alhaji Umar Farouk, the Sarikin Zongo (Chief of Zongo), commended the KMA for constructing sanitation facilities and improvement of the drainage system at Sawaba and Aboabo Number One.