National Sanitation Day exercise in Walewale nearly turned volatile when sanitation officers were verbally assaulted by members of a household in the Naayiri Fong electoral area.
The incident has sparked outrage and prompted the West Mamprusi Municipal Chief Executive to promise legal action against the offending household.
The confrontation occurred when environmental health officers identified a house with a severely unsanitary condition, including an unattended gutter and bathwater runoff affecting neighboring houses.
When officers instructed the occupants to rectify the situation to avoid legal consequences, a young woman from the house reportedly unleashed offensive insults on the officers, escalating the situation to near violence.
The situation was quickly salvaged through the intervention of local elders, after another woman from the household joined in the verbal assault.
The National Sanitation Day exercise, initiated under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama, was envisioned as a critical benchmark for evaluating the performance of Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs).
Since its inception, the West Mamprusi Municipal has consistently observed the exercise, leading to significant improvements in sanitation across the Walewale township.
The West Mamprusi Municipal Chief Executive, Mohammed Rabbiu Jabba, has firmly condemned the actions against the officers and assured that the assembly will pursue legal action against the household involved.
He emphasized that any form of assault, whether physical or verbal, will not be tolerated and the culprits will be held accountable through due process.
According to him, the assembly has already taken steps by inviting the household to their office and initiating legal proceedings. Additionally, he urged residents to respect the officers, recognizing their professionalism and training similar to other professions.
Just two months ago, the assembly had summoned the Walewale branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) for non-compliance with sanitation regulations. The chairman of the GPRTU apologized for the lapse and pledged better sanitation practices moving forward.
The West Mamprusi Municipal Environmental Health Officer Faustinus Anchamba has reported that the assembly has issued invitations to those who have neglected their sanitation responsibilities, requiring them to justify their non-compliance.
Mr. Anchamba expressed his disapproval of the insults directed towards officers carrying out their duties, emphasizing that these efforts are for the betterment of the community and the nation.
He implored residents to cooperate with sanitation officers, recounting instances of verbal abuse faced by these officers. Anchamba warned that if legal recourse is not pursued against those responsible for the abuse, he may be compelled to request a transfer from Walewale, fearing an escalation of such incidents if residents perceive that their actions will go unpunished.
He earlier recounted that the West Mamprusi Municipal Assembly has identified a significant sanitation crisis in Walewale township, revealing that over 90 per cent of households lack toilet facilities. This, he says, poses a major challenge to public health and sanitation efforts in the area, prompting the assembly to urge all households without toilets to construct them as a matter of urgency.
According to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), while communities surrounding Walewale generally have adequate toilet facilities, the township itself is far behind. The MCE expressed surprise at this disparity and emphasized the importance of including toilet facilities in all new building plans to address this critical need.
The assembly, he says, views this issue as a top priority and is exploring measures to support residents in constructing toilet facilities to improve overall sanitation in Walewale.
By Solomon Kwame Kanaluwe
