National Sanitation day receives boost in Agona West The third edition of the National Sanitation Day in the Agona West Municipality was fully patronized by the residents including chiefs, Assembly members and security agencies. The participants who spent over six hours swept, weeded overgrown public places and desilted chocked gutters. Speaking to the Press after the exercise, Mr Samuel Oppong, Agona West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) commended the participants for their communal spirit exhibited during the exercise. He said the Agona West Assembly would collaborate with the Ministry Of Local Government and Rural Development and come out with a law that will compel drivers, churches, schools and others groups to join the clean up in future. He stated that the National Sanitation Day programme should be backed by law to force people to take part, adding that the law should punish recalcitrant people who refuse to participate. The MCE said the Assembly has formed a National Sanitation Day Committee to institute an award for individuals, groups, churches and others in the next edition of the exercise. He said the Urban Roads of the Ghana Highways Authority in the Agona West has started constructing more storm drains in the Municipality to avoid floods. Okyeame Nyarkoh Mensah, Chief Linguist to Nana Kobina Botwe II, Swedruhene cautioned recalcitrant store operators in Agona Swedru who continued to open their shops during the exercise Day to desist from such acts. He said the Sanitation Committee of Swedruman Council would not hesitate to punish any store operator who will refuse to participate in the programme. Mr George Freeman, Agona West Municipal Environmental Health Chief appealed to the residents not to throw refuse into gutters and other public places indiscriminately. He cautioned people who defecate openly to desist from such habits, adding that it creates health hazards and environmental pollution in the area. According to him these could lead to an outbreak of cholera and other diseases. SOUURCE: GNA