The Environmental and Sanitation Unit of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly has acknowledged growing concerns over poor sanitation in the municipality, attributing the situation to both systemic challenges and negative public attitudes toward cleanliness.
Speaking in an interview on A1 Radio, Evans Bornaa of the Sanitation Unit emphasized that the sanitation crisis in the municipality reflects widespread behavioral issues. He noted that while many residents complain about the filth in the area, the problem largely stems from a collective disregard for proper waste disposal practices.
“The issue has to do with us changing our behavior towards sanitation. Everyone is complaining that the place is filthy. Who has made it filthy? Everybody is a contributing factor to what we are seeing today.
So, the town being filthy—with flying plastic bags, bottles, and so on—is due to our own attitude,” he said.
According to him, previous efforts by the Assembly to control waste through the provision of roadside bins were unsuccessful due to misuse by the public. Some residents reportedly used the bins inappropriately—dumping hot ashes that melted the containers, storing water in them, and in extreme cases, disposing of human waste in polyethylene bags inside the bins. These practices led to the removal of some bins and their redistribution only to communities willing to use them responsibly.
“Some people, after cooking, still dump hot ashes into the bins. It melts them. In some communities, if you send the bins, they change the purpose. They put them down and store water in them,” he explained.
Mr. Bornaa noted that in recent months, the situation has worsened due to a two-month lapse in waste collection services by Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
“What is now a problem is that, for two months now, Zoomlion hasn’t been working,” he said.
Zoomlion manages 20 of the 36 waste containers in the municipality, while the Assembly handles the remaining 16. With no containers lifted during this period, waste has accumulated rapidly, worsening the already dire sanitation conditions. Although container lifting resumed last week, the absence of sweepers and container attendants has continued to hamper cleanup efforts.
“As we speak now, they started lifting last week, but the sweepers and container attendants have not returned. So, definitely, the town still looks the way it does,” he added.
He also highlighted challenges with enforcing sanitation by-laws. Attempts to prosecute individuals for maintaining unsanitary environments have often been thwarted by political interference, with some offenders shielded from legal consequences. This, he observed, undermines the work of sanitation officers and sends the wrong message to the public.
“Sometimes, you go into a community, pick someone, and prepare to take them to court, only to be told to drop the case.
If the politicians supported us strongly, we could do the job as it should be done.”
He further emphasized the importance of commitment among sanitation officers.
“We’ve trained people, but sometimes they don’t grow into the role. When you’re employed, you need to commit yourself to the job. When you do that and master your work, no one can defeat you in the field,” he said.
To address the ongoing crisis, the Assembly is revisiting the sanitation task force concept introduced by former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Rex Asanga. Mr. Bornaa stated that discussions are underway with the new MCE to implement Operation Clean Your Frontage, starting with a public education campaign. The plan involves a month-long sensitization program to raise awareness about the importance of cleanliness, after which the Assembly will begin enforcement.
“What we intend to do is start with sensitization. We’ll educate the people on the need for all of us to keep the municipality clean,” he explained.
The 15-member task force includes personnel from the Police Service, Fire Service, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Zoomlion, and other stakeholders. It will initially focus on central parts of the municipality before expanding to outlying areas. Through combined education, enforcement, and community involvement, the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly hopes to tackle its sanitation challenges and promote a cleaner, healthier environment for all residents.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1 MHz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
