Tema MCE courts media support

The Chief Executive of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), Mr. Robert Kempes Ofosuware has appealed to journalists in Tema to help educate residents of Tema on programmes of the Assembly.

He said the Assembly is doing whatever it takes to ensure that it educates residents in the Metropolis, especially drivers and traders (especially in the central market area at Community One), on policies and activities of the Assembly, especially on sanitation.

He hinted that waste management alone consumes a large chunk of the Assembly's resources, because an estimated 1,800 tonnes of garbage is collected and deposited at the final disposal site daily by about 100 refuse trucks.

According to him, the challenges that the Assembly are facing presently are indiscriminate dumping of heavy waste materials, domestic waste in front of homes and open drains, irregular payment of refuse collection, inadequate equipment and limited logistics.

“As daunting as the situation may appear, I have a commitment, to turn the situation around and with your support I am optimistic that I can succeed. The key issue in maintaining a clean environment is to effect attitudinal change in the people. Here, the media has a very crucial role to play. I urge you to partner us in educating the public to observe good environmental practices”, he stressed.

Hon. Ofosuware was speaking at an interactive forum organized by the Assembly, which forms part of a programme lined up by the Assembly in a 'Town Hall' concept, to interact with residents, journalists, the business community and professionals among others, to know their problems and how it can help solve those problems.

He indicated that TMA is already in discussion with a recycling company from the United States of America, which intends to collect almost all solid waste and turn it into energy cubes, fertilizer and clinker among others, saying that once they start operation, the garbage situation will be a thing of the past.

The TMA boss also said that some of the traders in the Metropolis have made it a point to sell on pavements in the central business district, making the whole area congested. He said some taxi drivers pick and offload their passengers indiscriminately from unauthorized points.

Touching on his plans to get the poor roads in the Metropolis in good shape, the MCE hinted that the Kpone main road, which is the major arterial road to the Kpone township, and also serves as an alternative route for motorists connecting Community 25 and surrounding areas to the Tema business centre, have been awarded on contract, and work will soon commence.

According to the Tema MCE, other roads in the Metropolis, including those in Communities 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 9 among others, have also been awarded on contract, with the hope that work on those roads would start very soon.

Hon. Ofosuware revealed that plans are far advanced to remove unauthorized structures within the Sakumono Ramsar site area and along all ceremonial roads, including the Akosombo road and Tema General Hospital (TGH) road among others.

On the cumbersome permit system existing between TMA and the Tema Development Corporation (TDC), Hon. Ofosuware noted that the two institutions have agreed to a number of issues, aimed at streamlining the system.

“And very soon, the needless duplicity of procedures in acquiring building permits and other documents will be over. The situation will then be harmonized for the benefit of our people”, he stressed.