TAMA SPENDS OVER GH¢600,000 ON SANITATION (PAGE 18, DEC 14, 2010)

THE Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) has, between 2009 and 2010, spent over GH¢600,000 on the maintenance of sanitation in the metropolis.
This amount, though colossal, has been justified by the Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday, who told journalists that the assembly had spent the money on the provision of toilet facilities, dredging of drains, purchase of cleaning tools and evacuation of refuse from heaped points.
He said sanitation was among the topmost priorities of the assembly, adding that one of the assembly’s core responsibilities was to ensure that the city was clean and that people had access to sanitation facilities.
The mayor was speaking to journalists after he toured various places in the metropolis where the TaMA’s quarterly clean-up campaign was underway.
Together with other officials of the assembly, Alhaji Friday joined the residents to sweep, empty choked gutters and evacuate rubbish from unauthorised dumpsites.
He appealed to the residents to help the assembly maintain sanitation in the city by taking part in the quarterly clean-up exercises in their respective neighbourhoods.
Giving more details on how the assembly’s expenditure on sanitation amounted to GH¢600,000, the Head of the Waste Management Department of the assembly, Mr Sampson Akwettey, mentioned that part of the money had been used to construct a 20-seater aqua privy toilet facility at the Ghana Senior High School.
He also mentioned the construction of other toilet facilities at Koblimahagu and Kalpohin and the rehabilitation of the toilet at Lamashiegu south.
Mr Akwettey again pointed out that the GH¢600,000 also included the cost of the construction of a kraal at the Tamale abattoir and the renovation of the butcher’s shop at the Aboabo Market.
He said as part of the clean up, the assembly had resolved to maintain its quarterly refuse evacuation exercise.
“We are evacuating refuse from dumpsites for disposal at the landfill site,” he explained, adding that unauthorised dumpsites were also being cleared.
Mr Akwettey mentioned some of the sites that had been earmarked for evacuation as Jakarayili Sakafat, Lamashiegu North, Gumbihini and Jisonayili.
Meanwhile, Stanbic Bank has donated GH¢1,000 to support the assembly’s clean- up exercise.
The bank’s Business Manager, Mr Yussif Abdul-Mumin, who presented the cheque to the mayor during the clean-up exercise at Aboabo, said Stanbic was committed to helping the assembly keep the city clean.
“As a bank, it is our desire to have healthy customers and this can only be achieved if the people live in a clean environment,” he stated.
The mayor commended the bank for the gesture, and said it would enhance the assembly’s clean-up activities and strengthen the relationship between the two institutions.