Nine Landlords and a tenant in the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipality have appeared before the Madina Magistrate’s Court for violating the Assembly’s sanitation laws.
They are Isaac Tetteh, John Bosco, Abdulai Hassan Ali Baba, Mawuli Anagli, Jonathan Anagli, Esther Anagli, Wilson Anagli, George Boateng and Michael Sarkwa.
They were charged on three counts of non-compliance with notice, contrary to section 32 of the Towns Act caps 86, failure to construct an approved toilet facility, contrary to section 5 sub-sections 1-3 of the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly (LANMA) Sanitation Bye-laws 2013 and refusing to provide a toilet facility on their premises, despite several warnings and advice.
Isaac Tetteh and George Boateng, who were arrested on a bench warrant, pleaded guilty while the rest pleaded not quality.
Tetteh was fined GH¢120 and admitted to GH¢2000 bail, with one surety while Boateng, whose council pleaded for leniency was admitted to GH¢5000 bail with two sureties to re- appear on July 20.
The rest, who were also admitted to GH¢3000 bail with one surety, would also re-appear again on July 20.
The Environmental Unit prosecutor of LANMA, Mr. Lambert Kwana told the court that Isaac Tetteh and John Bosco were selling food at Madina without a health certificate of fitness. In addition, they dumped and burnt refuse on their premises creating a health hazard in the neighbourhood and also have an unauthorised pit latrine exposed to flies.
He said notice was served on them to abate the nuisance but they failed to comply and were subsequently charged with the offence.
Mr. Kwara indicated that Abdulha Hassan, Ali Baba and Micheal Sarkwa have no toilet facilities in their premises and dump human excrement wrapped in black polythene bags behind their premises.
The municipal prosecutor told the court that the Anaglis had a defective toilet that was exposed to flies.
He said the unit advised them to rebuild the toilet and also make a manhole to store the waste water but they refused to comply with the directive.
According to him, Mr. Boateng, who lived in a rented apartment at Oyarifa had been discharging his bath water into the neighbourhood thus, exposing the community to health hazards.
The Municipal Environmental Officer, Mr. Joseph Quarcoo told The Ghanaian Times that, assembly bye-laws required that landlords constructed toilet facilities in their premises.
He said the assembly was undertaking a World Bank project, the Rapid Response Initiative (RRI) to assist landlords provide acceptable toilets in their homes.
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