PLASTIC MENACE WORRIES TAKORADI WATER PRODUCERS (Page 23)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo & Juliet Aguair, Takoradi

THE Sekondi-Takoradi Agona Sachet Water Producers Association (STASWAPA) has expressed concern about the increasing indiscriminate littering of the environment, as well as the general apathy of the public towards attitudinal change needed for the sustainable management of waste in the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Area.
The association is equally concerned about the blame the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) has directed at its members, as well as attempts by the assembly to surcharge the association for the problem.
The President of STASWAPA, Major Rex Nuamah (retd), expressed the concern at a press conference in Takoradi on the non-enforcement of waste management bye-laws by SAEMA in relation to the forthcoming 26th African Cup of Nations (CAN 2008) tournament, of which Sekondi is one the host venues.
“This we have expressed in uncertain terms to the assembly as misdirection and would want to use this platform to reiterate our disgust at the initiative, and urge the metro assembly to rather discharge its responsibility of ensuring the enforcement of its sanitation bye-laws (solid and liquid waste management bye-law 2000),” he explained.
Infact, he said, Clause (3) of the SAEMA “Solid and liquid wastes management” Bye-law 2000 enjoins the assembly to be exclusively responsible for the management of both solid and plastic wastes within the entire administrative area of the assembly.”
“We are of the view that the assembly cannot evade responsibility and turn round to blame our association for the problems of plastic waste management within the metropolis,” he stated.
He said it should be noted that there were other actors that used plastic products for packaging and sachet producers were one of the many actors.
“In our view, the enforcement of the regulations and other activities, including providing more dust bins, educating the public on proper waste disposal, would ensure sanity  within the metropolis for the football fiesta and well beyond it,” he said.
He said the sachet water producers association had on various occasions carried out their social responsibilities by supplying drinking water for every clean-up exercise organised by the assembly within the metropolis, adding that “we have bought large bins from the assembly to manage the internal waste generated in our operation”.
He called on all stakeholders to put their effort together in fighting the menace of plastic waste within the metropolis.
Also, he urged SAEMA to provide adequate litter bins at vantage points within the metropolis to help curb the situation.
The Omanhene of Western Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Annor Adjaye, said people in the Shama Ahanta East metropolis would have to appreciate that the assembly spent millions of cedis on waste management.
“Waste is being generated by ourselves,” he said, adding that “we are the very people not disposing properly”.
He pointed out that people in the metropolis should not wait for the Ghana 2008 tournament before they kept the city clean.
He noted that since supporters and visitors would be in the metropolis for the tournament, waste would increase, therefore it behoved us to manage our waste responsibly before and after the tournament.
Awulae Annor Adjaye said lack of cooperation from the public to ensure compliance of the bye-law had been a major problem.
He called for monitoring of waste management staff in the metropolis, adding that “this in a way would help waste management in the metropolis”.
The association also launched a jingle on the need for the individual to ensure that plastic waste was disposed of at the right places.