ZoomLion to the rescue of Akltamafu… Fumigates area to rid it of invading flies

Experts in waste management, ZoomLion Ghana Limited, under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, has embarked on a fumigation exercise at Akltamafu, a village near Hohoe in the Volta Region, to rid it of flies and other insects to save the people from environmental borne diseases.

The initiative by ZoomLion was in response to a front page publication in the Ghanaian Times, dated Wednesday 11th March 2009, on the invasion of flies in the aforementioned village.

The exercise was performed over the weekend, under the supervision of the Vector Control Coordinator of ZoomLion, Mr. Samuel Nortey.

The Communications Director of the company (ZoomLion), Mr. Oscar Provencal, in his address to the gathering, noted that his outfit's response to the situation was part of its social responsibility of attending to the needs of the people, which also fell in line with the President's initiative of making the country clean in a hundred days and beyond.

The company, he said, after its preliminary investigations, decided to clear a heap of refuse close to the village and fumigate the entire community, after it was discovered to be the main the cause of the fly invasion.

The paper learnt that the company has decided to probe further into the matter, to find a lasting solution to the problem in the area. To this effect, twenty-three local hands would be employed, and trained to stay in the village for the next six months, to address the issue.

The Chief of the area, Togbe Keh XII, in his address, expressed his profound gratitude to the government and ZoomLion for their swift response to the aid of citizens of Akltamafu.

He appealed to the government to help upgrade the road network linking the village to other communities, and also provide school and healthcare facilities to the people, in order to improve their standard of living.

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring the good health of the citizens, which he believed, was the cornerstone to national development.

According to him, the presence of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health in the area, was a clear testimony of the government's zeal to tackle environmental problems to ensure good sanitation in the country, and assured the people of the government's support to bring the situation under control.

He said the government had made allocations in this year's budget to deal with sanitation issues to ensure a safe environment, and therefore called for all hands on deck in the fight against environmental issues, since its effects were enormous.

“Flies, we all know, can be very harmful to our health, since they stand the chance to contaminate our food and water. They can also promote epidemics, but we should not encourage this situation of ours where we need funds to develop our country. It is therefore paramount for us to promote and protect the health of our citizens,” he said.

Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayawaso South Constituency, commended ZoomLion for its efforts in ensuring a cleaner environment, and urged other stakeholders in the health sector to do same.

He, however, promised Ghanaians of the Committee's determination to work hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in the health sector, to respond to such situations, irrespective of where it happens.