Heaps of rubbish engulf Savelugu Township

The Savelugu Municipality is engulfed with heaps of rubbish at the various toilets compounds where waste containers are stationed.

The heaps of rubbish is a threat to the health condition of residents especially people living closer to where the waste containers are kept.

Development Journalist, Abdul Sammed Gurundari visited the community as part of his routine visits to communities to ascertain challenges bordering them.

There were heaps of rubbish found by the several toilets and the rain waters are fallen on it creating unbearable stench and breeding of mosquitoes.

The unpleasant aspect is that an area called Kuugafong where people sit very closed to the rubbish to do their daily businesses eat and drink in as much as they know the harmful nature of the rubbish to their health.

There are artisans having their shops closer to this heaps of rubbish complained that the situation sometimes makes them unable to breathe when the stench is too much.

Interacting with the caretakers of the toilets, it was told that they have sent a report to the Savelugu Municipal Assembly concerning the heaps of rubbish, they said the matter is reported to their superiors that is the Assembly members because they are in charge of the toilets and waste containers except Kuugafong which toilets and waste containers are not in the hands of the Assemblymember for the electoral area.

The Assemblymember was contacted to find out why the caretakers are saying he is not in charge of the toilets and waste containers in his electoral? 

The Assemblymember for Kuugafong electoral area Hon Shakuru Bashru responded that “it is true am not in charge of the management of the toilets and waste containers as you were told”.

He indicated that the toilets have been hijacked by some party loyalists who thinks their party is in power but he would not want to peddle a developmental issue into politics because it benefits everybody.

Hon Bashiru said he has lobbied the municipal Assembly to get waste containers for the toilets to curb the indiscriminately dumping of the rubbish but because the management of the toilets turn to political connotation he has to fold up.

The matter is worrying to him because in any case he is supposed to be managing the toilets and the waste containers.

The municipal Assembly must be up in doing in terms of sanitation management in the capital to avert diseases such malaria, typhoid, cholera and any poor hygiene-related diseases.

The Municipal Assembly could also build fence walls for these public toilets in Savelugu in order to reduce the dangers of the situation.

There is a saying that “health is wealth” and that must prompt all stakeholders in Savelugu township to see to the clearing of heaps of rubbish in the town.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Savelugu Municipality Assembly, Hon Hajia Ayisha Seidu indicated that the conveying of the rubbish is the responsibility of the Assembly and such contract is between the Assembly and Zoomlion.

“We have a contract with Zoomlion to be conveying the rubbish and they are complaining of the breakdown of their trucks and that has resulted in the heaps of the rubbish in some of the areas in Savelugu town,” she said.

Hajia Seidu is therefore appealing to Zoomlion to fix one of their trucks to help evacuate the rubbish to avert its negative implication to the general public.

 Abdul Sammed Gurundari