Let us ban plastics — Deputy Youth and Sports Minister
Ghana must adopt a bipartisan approach to ongoing discussions on the plastic menace in the country that will lead to a total ban on the use of plastics, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Vincent Asamoah, has stated.
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The Deputy Minister, who said this when he launched the week-long 10th anniversary celebration of the Accra Zone of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, said although people had argued that a total ban on plastics would affect jobs, Rwanda’s example showed that a total ban by Ghana was the most effective way to deal with the plastic menace.
The theme for the anniversary celebration is: “Zoomlion@ 10; Driving impactful waste management in Ghana and beyond.”
“On the issue of plastics, I think there should be a bipartisan approach, even though economically some people’s livelihood is based on the production of polythene bags but looking at the other side of it, I think we have to take steps.”
“If we can ban the usage of polythene, it is going to remarkably improve on the sanitation situation in the country,” he explained.
Mr Asamoah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Dormaa West, said all the beautiful structures abroad were seen at the beaches and other waterfronts but the reverse was the case in the country.
“Most of the insanitary conditions are observed along our beaches and other waterfronts, and I think this trend will have to be reversed,” he stated.
Enforce bye-laws
He also called for the enforcement of bye-laws on sanitation, saying, “More sanitary inspectors will have to be recruited. Let’s start to arrest and prosecute them. Laws without implementation, to me, don’t mean anything.”
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Complaining that even the arrest of those who flouted the bye-laws was politicised, he stated: “Let us start to prosecute. Once we start to prosecute and a fine is imposed, let your party look for money to come and pay if you think the culprits belong to your party.”
No lessons learnt
The Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Nii Djanmah Vanderpuye, said the insanitary habits of Ghanaians showed that no lessons had been learnt from the June 3, 2015 twin disaster that was marked last week.
He, therefore, urged sanitary workers to ensure continued education of the public, noting with concern that very soon the country’s landfill sites would all be closed, which called for creativity and ingenuity in waste recycling.
Shared responsibility
The General Manager of the Accra Zone of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, Mr Gerrshon Sogbey, stated that ensuring waste management and environmental sanitation was a shared responsibility.
He, however, urged the assemblies to prosecute offenders but continue educating the public on good environmental sanitation practices.
The Kaneshie Mantse, Nii Nikoi Ashalley I, who chaired the anniversary launch, asked the workers of Zoomlion not to get complacent in view of the praises that were showered on them, but to continue to educate the public as they worked.
Attitudinal change
The Presiding Member of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Thomas Ashong, called for attitudinal change among the public, saying that the dredging of the Odaw drain and Korle Lagoon would not have any impact if people continued to litter.
Both the Presiding Member of the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA), Mr Patrick Nuogbedzie, and a former MP of Odododiodio, Nii Tackie Commey, lauded workers of Zoomlion for their good work.
The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) Greater Accra Regional Director, Mr Solomon Nii Afutu Quartey, asked the sanitary workers to work extra hard to secure the environment for healthy living.
Writer’s email: [email protected]