Okaikwei North MCE Talks Tough

The Okaikwei North Municipal Chief Executive, (MCE) Boye Laryea, says the Assembly is bent on removing emerging slums in the municipality.

He said the situation if not tackled head on would become a community too difficult to deal with.

According to Mr. Laryea, slums which were springing up along the Achimota Rail root and some parts of Alogoshie and Abofu have been dealt with.

Addressing the first meeting of the Fourth Session of the General Assembly in Accra yesterday, the Okaikwei North MCE said people continue to build without recourse to the building regulations and requirements.

He stated that unauthorized placement of containers, kiosks and others structures on lanes and pavements pose a challenge to the Assembly.

Mr. Laryea stated that between October and December 2018 through to February this year, a total of GH¢12,500 was raked into the Assembly’s kitty as revenue through court fines from the prosecution of sanitation offenders with three convictions.

He said from October to December 2018, 53 court summons were issued while 40 persons were prosecuted with 5 bench warrants effected.

Mr. Laryea indicated that under the MCE’s special sanitation Task Force excessive, 12 people were arrested for committing various sanitary offences such as dumping elsewhere, open defecation and other offences adding that “we intend to intensify the search for offenders and punish them to serve as deterrent to other potential offenders.”

The Okaikwei North MCE touching on the volume of waste generated in the Municipality stated that a total of 1,526 metric tonnes of solid waste is produced a week with 6,104 metric tonnes produced in a month.

Mr. Laryea disclosed that a chuck of the waste collection site include Lapaz, Nyamekye, Akweteyman Junction, Tesano, Achimota Charcoal Station, Christian Village, Church of Pentecost and SDA School at Nii Boi Town with Nsomia being the final disposal site.

On the finances of the Assembly, the MCE said the Municipality’s finances have shown considerable progress in its revenue mobilization efforts.

He said out of the annual revenue target of GH¢5,205,500 from traditional sources for the year 2019, an amount of GH¢248,435.96 has been collected covering January and February 2019.

Mr. Samuel Boadu, Director of the Municipality said so far the Assembly has registered 10,400 businesses 7,299 properties and 2,285 as part of its data collection drive.

Members at the General Assembly were from the eleven electoral areas namely, Okaikoi North Municipal Assembly, Nii Boiman, Anahoma, Blemangor, Apenkwa, Abofu, Kisseman, Abeka, Wuoyeman, and Olengele Koona.