The Amenfi East District Assembly in the Western Region has begun the community sanitation inspection concept, popularly known as ‘samah samah’, TV3 can confirm.
The programme is to ensure that residents in Amenfi East observe good sanitary conditions at all times.
The District’s decision is in conformity to the Public Health Act, 851 of 2012, Section 56.
The samah samah inspectors arraign residents whose surroundings are untidy to court.
Speaking to TV3, the District Environmental Health Officer, Oliver Cromwell, said: “This will reduce the monthly cost of GH¢10,000 incurred by the Assembly to tackle sanitation challenges.”
The samah samah program started three months ago.
Though some residents accept the criminal summons and plead for mercy, others challenge the inspectors.
The samah samah programme comes at a time when the nation is battling its sanitation challenges through the national sanitation campaign.
The District Coordinating Director, Mr Jafaru Aziz, said they had no option than to re-introduce the once colonial way of battling sanitation problems into the District.
The Assembly will, as part of the programme, give free waste bins to residents who are required to pay a token upon collection.
It has also started the pay-as-you dump policy where residents pay GHp20 when they dump in the bigger waste containers deposited at vantage points.
By Daniel Lartey|3News.Com|Ghana
