Yagaba chief calls for sanitation officers as Mamprugu Moagduri prepares to enforce bylaws

Naa Bigamso Salifu, Chief of Yagaba in the Mamprugu Moagduri District of the North East Region, has urged the government to provide sanitation inspection officers to enforce environmental sanitation regulations strictly. This call arose during a community-wide cleanup exercise organized by traditional authorities and District Chief Executive Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman.

The exercise followed severe flooding that affected the district capital and other major communities like Kubori, and involved security personnel, local government officials, youth groups, community members, and various stakeholders.

The community cleanup aimed to improve sanitation and promote environmental cleanliness by clearing refuse, desilting gutters, cutting weeds, and removing debris from public spaces. Naa Salifu emphasized that sanitation should become a daily responsibility among residents rather than just a periodic communal effort. He appealed to the government to deploy officers to conduct regular inspections and ensure compliance with environmental regulations, stating, "Without some measure of enforcement, it is often difficult to get them to do the right thing."

Regarding the persistent flooding issue, Naa Salifu appealed for an expansion of the town’s drainage system to enhance water flow and lessen the impact of heavy rains. He thanked the government for constructing gutters but urged for their expansion. The District Environmental Officer, Azindow Joseph Zakaria, praised the district assembly for establishing the sanitation bylaws and expressed concern over open defecation, a major sanitation challenge in the district.

Zakaria urged traditional authorities, local government officials, and residents to work together in addressing this issue and avoiding legal action for non-compliance.