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Seven individuals have been arrested in the Ekumfi District of the Central Region for allegedly refusing to participate in the nationwide National Sanitation Day exercise and continuing to operate their businesses during the clean-up campaign.
The arrests occurred during the National Sanitation Day exercise, which saw residents across communities in the Ekumfi District come together to clean streets, gutters, markets, and other public spaces as part of efforts to improve environmental sanitation and prevent flooding.
According to district authorities, the seven individuals were found operating their shops while the mandatory clean-up exercise was underway instead of joining other residents in the community service.
To ensure compliance with the exercise, police officers were deployed to various communities across the district to monitor participation and enforce the directive.
The officers arrested the suspects at Ekumfi Essuehyia and Ekumpoano after they allegedly ignored the sanitation exercise and continued with their business activities.
Speaking in an interview with Channel 247 News Yaw Boagyan,the District Chief Executive for Ekumfi, Hon. Nana Ismeal Asamoah, said the National Sanitation Day initiative should be treated as a collective national responsibility rather than a government programme alone.
He noted that poor sanitation practices, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, and choked drains continue to contribute significantly to flooding in many parts of the country, making it imperative for every Ghanaian to actively participate in community clean-up exercises.
The DCE stressed that his administration would continue to strictly enforce sanitation regulations and intensify public education to ensure residents maintain clean surroundings.
He added that anyone who deliberately refuses to comply with sanitation directives would face the full rigours of the law.
Also speaking to Channel 247 News Yaw Boagyan,the Central Regional Director of the National Apprenticeship Programme, Mr. Ebenezer Abeiku Essian, commended residents who participated in the exercise and encouraged especially the youth to make environmental cleanliness a daily habit.
He further called on government agencies and relevant authorities to take decisive action against illegal structures and buildings constructed on waterways, saying such developments obstruct the free flow of water and contribute to the perennial flooding experienced in many communities across the country.
Mr. Essian emphasized that while regular clean-up exercises are important, they must be complemented by strict enforcement of planning regulations and the removal of structures built on watercourses to achieve lasting solutions to Ghana’s sanitation and flooding challenges.
Story by Yaw Boagyan