Garbage chokes Kumasi streets after cleanup

Streets of the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi are strewn with piles of garbage more than 24-hours after a cleanup exercise touted to be historic.

Saturday’s cleanup exercise was the third of the National Sanitation Day instituted by the Local Government Ministry three months ago following an outbreak of cholera which killed more than 200 people last year.

The third edition was observed in Kumasi in recognition of Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s tireless campaign against littering in the country.

The event was led by the Asantehene himself, the Minister for Local Government, Mr Julius Debrah and a host of other key personalities.

Addressing cleaners in Kumasi, Otumfuo said he would personally ensure that the garbage piled up by the streets were collected yesterday or latest Sunday.

But it seems the positive effect of the symbolic national sanitation exercise is being short lived as piles of garbage are still seen on the streets of the Garden City.

Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Prempeh, reported that even though the clean-up exercise was a success, some streets such as Prempeh II Steet, precisely in front of Sandra Hotel, Adum; Aboabo, close to WAEC, Roman Hill/Alaba Street in front of Agric Development Bank, Alaba/Manhyia Street, are still littered with piles of garbage.

He, however, quoted the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly as saying efforts were being made to clear the garbage by Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, local governance expert George Kyei Baffour has questioned the sustainability of the National Sanitation Day.

He is rather recommending what he describes as realignment of contracts signed with waste collection companies like Zoomlion as an effective measure to deal with the filth in the country’s cities.