Ashaiman last Friday celebrated the attainment of its municipal status with a durbar of the chiefs and people of the area.
The durbar climaxed a week-long celebration under the theme: “The role of the Divisional Council in the newly created municipal assembly”.
It was organised by the Ashaiman Divisional Council in collaboration with the municipal assembly.
Speaking at the durbar, the Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive, Albert Okyere, asked the residents to change their negative perception that the area is a safe haven for criminals.
This, he explained, could be done when the people are able to expose criminals living among them by reporting them to the police.
Mr Okyere appealed to the residents to join forces with the assembly to turn things around.
He said to succeed in their endeavour, the residents should resist the temptation of harbouring criminals and instead inform the police about their activities.
He also spoke about the environment and asked the people to dispose off their waste properly since insanitary conditions give rise to diseases.
Mr Okyere therefore urged them to obey the Assembly's Sanitary laws by keeping refuse in bins and covering them.
The Chief Executive called on the residents to pay their rates and taxes regularly so that the Assembly could accelerate the rate of development.
He appealed to the traditional rulers for land to build a second Senior High School since the Ashaiman Senior High School has its facilities stretched to the limit.
He said Ashaiman is also faced with the problem of encroachment and haphazard development and intimated that steps were being taken to ensure that developers comply with planning regulations.
The Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Kraku II, said the Tema Traditional Council will soon divide Ashaiman into four sub-divisions to make it easier to administer in view of the rapid development taking place.
Nii Tetteh Amuni II, Ashaiman Mantse, called on residents to respect the customary laws and practices of Tema since Ashaiman is an integral part of Tema.
“Even though we have strangers and believe in peaceful co-existence we are not prepared to sacrifice our customary laws and practices on the alter of cheap peaceful coexistence,” he stressed.