Landlord fined GH¢600 for failure to construct household toilet

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is intensifying the prosecution of persons who do not have toilet facilities on their premises.

In the latest action, the Ablekuma Central Sanitation and Motor Court has fined Safianu Ibrahim, a resident of Sabon Zongo, GH¢600 for non-compliance with a notice served on him to construct a household latrine on his premises, contrary to the Public Health Act (291), Act 2012.

The presiding magistrate, Madam Linda Ammisah, took a serious view of the convict’s failure to comply with the directive and consequently imposed the fine on him.

Prosecution

According to the prosecutor, Mr B. N. Okai, a team of AMA health inspectors noticed, while on their routine inspection, that Safianu had no toilet facility in his house.
Consequently, he was served with a notice to construct one.

He was given 30 days to construct a household latrine on his premises but he failed to comply with the notice served.

Safianu pleaded guilty to the offence and was, consequently, fined 50 penalty units, which is equivalent to GHc600, or in default a one-month prison term.

Cleanest city

The move by the AMA to ensure that landlords provide toilets in their homes is part of efforts to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa and also ensure that the problem of open defecation is curbed.