‘Operation Clean Your Frontage’ must succeed

Since the ‘Operation Clean Your Frontage’ initiative was launched by the President in October last year, there have been series of sensitisation programmes in the various municipalities and districts in Accra.

There has also been some piloting in some municipalities of Accra, during which dozens of people have either been summoned or arrested for failing to keep their frontages and surroundings clean.

With the initiative to keep Accra clean taking off last Tuesday, February 1, 2022, the Daily Graphic is not only upbeat about its success but also worried that the fervor with which it has started may fizzle out as time goes on, just as other initiatives to ensure environmental cleanliness have failed over the years.

It is said that coming events cast their shadows. It is a matter of concern that during the piloting at the Ablekuma Central, Ablekuma North, Ga East and Ayawaso North municipalities, among others, although some residents were summoned or arrested for infractions, which summons or arrests have been made public, little is known about what has been done to such people.

Are we just going to take delight in summoning or arresting people for flouting the sanitation bye-laws? If yes, then we have a long way to go.

Although when the ‘Operation Clean Your Frontage’ initiative was launched as part of the ‘Let’s Make Accra Work’ programme, the Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, assured us that it was not a ploy to arrest people, it will be difficult to ensure the success of the initiative if those who flout the bye-laws are not sanctioned.

If, on the other hand, as indicated by the MCE for Ablekuma Central, Mrs Mariama Karley Amui, the pilot was meant to educate the people on the initiative and the dangers of living in an unclean environment, which was why flouters were only invited to the office, then we hope the sensitisation has gone down well.

We find it reassuring that the necessary bye-laws have been passed and gazetted by the 29 assemblies in the Greater Accra Region to enable the lawful implementation of the initiative.

If the Greater Accra Region gets it right, the 15 other regions can certainly take a cue from the initiative. When that happens, the entire country will become clean, with the assistance of environmental health officers who were dreaded years ago and referred to as ‘Saman, Saman’ because bye-law flouters were always prosecuted.

As this major environmental policy of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council takes off, with over 3,500 properly supervised officers under retired military officers and complemented by national service persons, we urge residents who have their shops close to drains to clean them regularly, the same way they sweep their shops and rooms on a daily basis.

Also, those with properties situated less than four feet from gutters must shift backwards to allow for the mandatory pedestrian walkway, as prescribed by law.

In the same vein, persons close to the banks of the Odaw River must heed the caution to move away.

From today, residents who dispose of solid waste in drains should desist from doing so, else they will be severely punished, according to the bye-laws.

All residential areas must have places of convenience, which must be properly constructed and not linked to gutters, as some people have done.

We must all make the effort to swim with the ‘Operation Clean Your Frontage’ tide to make Accra truly clean.