The Agbogbloshie and Kokomba markets in Accra have been noted for bad sanitary practices as some traders display their wares on the bare floor with drains choked with filth.
The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah with her team and the A.M.A stormed the Agbogbloshie market to engage traders to desist from any unhygienic practices as the health of patrons of the market were at risk.
She said the market served as a major food basket for most residents in and around Accra including restaurants and there is the need to sell food stuffs in properly covered conditions.
Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah lamented at the disposal of solid waste into drains which she described as unacceptable since they are the frequent causes of disease outbreaks such as cholera. “As market women there is the need to pay attention to food preparation, handling, storage and display to keep us healthy’, she noted.
The Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (A.M.A), Mr. Mohammed Adjei Sowah who was with the minister to inspect the sanitary conditions of the market told the market women to be prepared to help government achieved the clean city agenda since cleanliness is a shared responsibility.
The Accra Zonal Manager of Zoomlion, Mr. Ernest Morgan Acquah who was at the market together with top management of Zoomlion explained that the company provided personnel, logistics and other resources to support the ministry undertake the clean-up exercise.
He said the company is committed to helping the president achieve the agenda of making Accra the cleanest city in the sub-region called for the need for residents to develop a good culture of keeping waste into waste bins for onward collection.
The traders also pleaded for refuse containers to be stationed at vantage points to help them easily dispose refuse into them and help prevent the indiscriminate dumping of waste at unauthorized places.
