Scores of residents at Oti, a community within the Asokwa Municipality have expressed disgust at the manner the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) is treating them over the landfill site in the area.
They complain the KMA had failed in honoring its word to them by not fumigating the houses and community near the site and thus allowing insects as well as bad odor to consume them in their homes.
In a fiery demonstration early Monday, residents wearing red attire with red arm bands to match and wielding placards vented their anger at the KMA as they blocked all tricycles conveying debris to the site from entering the dumping grounds.
They allege the KMA is failing to yield the site to the Asokwa Municipal Assembly, who now has control over Oti to manage because of the funds they are milking from the disposal of debris at the site.
ASSEMBLYMAN:
Speaking to the Ghanaian Observer Newspaper, Elliot Fosu Barnor, Assembly member for Kuwait –Aprabon- Oti who led the demonstrators wondered why the KMA was still holding on to the management of the site despite the facility and the community falling under the jurisdiction of the Asokwa Municipal Assembly (ASMA).
The KMA, Mr Barnor noted has exploited Oti residents for far too long and had succeeded in buying airborne diseases for the inhabitants due to the stench emanating from the boiler.
Mr Barnor said contrary to the agreement with the KMA, the assembly had failed to fumigate the community as agreed before the landfill site was given out to them to manage.
With profuse indignation, the assembly man called on the Metro Chief Executive for KMA, Osei Assibey Antwi to hand over all documentations and contractual details to the Asokwa Municipal Assembly so the latter could take over and manage the site since it lies within their jurisdiction.
‘’I am surprised that for all these while the KMA has refused to hand over the landfill site to the Asokw Municipal Assembly so they manage it and ensure the stench threatening to cause illnesses for residents could be treated by the new management’’, Mr Barnor stressed.
Police officers asking Elliot Fosu Barnor, assembly man for Oti to lead the demonstrators peacefully to the RCC so they could present their petition
PETITION:
As at press time, demonstrators had presented a petition to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah.
The residents want the Minister to act on the matter swiftly so as to forestall another demonstration next two weeks.
Reading portions of the petition to this reporter, the Assembly man noted that there have been several discussions with the KMA to hand over the site to Asokwa to manage.
The KMA, the petition noted had shown indifference to earlier petitions, adding residents in two weeks time will show the former and its Metro Chief Executive the power it wields.
