Why Accra is Still Stinking

Posted to the web 6 May 2008
Charles Takyi-Boadu
The problem of increasing levels of filth, which has engulfed the nation's capital, Accra, is far from ending, as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), and central government keep engaging in, what appears to be, an unnecessary blame-game.
Whilst the AMA blames central government, the latter is also putting the blame on the door step of the Assembly, for its inability to settle its indebtedness, of well-over ¢120 million (¢12,000), to solid waste contractors, whom they have engaged to collect refuse from various parts of the city.
The amount is a debt that has accumulated over several months.
Speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo Morning Show yesterday, a representative of the 17 or so solid waste contractors in Accra, a certain Mr. Asadu, attributed the increasing levels of filth in the capital city, to internal bickering between the Assembly and central government, over who is responsible for the payment of the outstanding debt.
This, he said, had affected the operations of the companies involved, since there was no money to run their individual businesses.
He emphasised that most of the contractors, are not able to meet their targets, since operations are gradually grinding to a halt, as a result of the lack of funds.
According to him, most of the companies have several of their trucks brokendown, whilst the few remaining ones are not able to work, because there was no money to buy fuel.
Though some of them are compelled, by circumstances, to purchase fuel on a credit basis, the filling stations have now resolved not to offer such credit to them anymore, because of their inability to pay them on schedule.
Using his case as an example, he said the AMA or government owed him well over ¢2 billon in arrears.
The situation, he indicated, was what had resulted in the increasing levels of filth in the country.
He noted that the continuous in-fighting between central government and the AMA, would not solve the problem, but instead deepen the woes of Accra residents, who are at the receiving end of the abhorrent stench pervading all over the place.
Mr. Asadu, therefore, urged government, and other stakeholders in the industry, to take steps to make amends, or else the situation would continue to grow, from bad to worse, as the days go by.
In spite of numerous assurances made to them, by Mr. Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson's outfit to settle the outstanding debt, the waste contractors say what they have done over the period, is to pay them lip service.
As a result, most these companies have adopted a lackadaisical attitude towards refuse collection in Accra.
The situation has resulted in the generating of mountains of filth, all over the capital city, especially in third and fourth class residential areas, such as Nima, Korle-Gonno Mamprobi, Bukom and James Town in central Accra.
Some of the affected contractors, say the situation is gradually getting out of hand, since it has gotten to a stage, where they sometimes cannot afford to fuel their trucks.
Information has it that the cost of maintaining each of these trucks is estimated to be running into millions of cedis.
Meanwhile, it is estimated that companies running about 12-15 fleet of trucks purchase over ¢50 million (GH¢5,000) a week.
Somewhere last year, Mr. Samuel Kpodo, a Principal Environmental Technologist in solid waste collection, at the AMA Waste Department, admitted in an interview with The Chronicle, that the situation was crippling the activities and operations of these waste contractors.
He traced the Assembly's predicament back to the year 2005, when as a result of fuel price increases, it was compelled by circumstances, to increase the cost per tonne of refuse, from the initial ¢60,000 (GH¢6) to ¢100,000 (GH¢10).
Since then, he says, the Assembly has been struggling to pay these contractors, resulting in inefficiency.
Though the Assembly collects taxes and property rates, among others, he noted it was still not sufficient to surmount the tonnes of solid waste generated in Accra.
Mr. Kpodo noted that the Assembly spent about 60% of its annual revenue, on solid waste management alone, not to even talk about liquid waste.
He, therefore, made a proposal that every household be made to pay for refuse collected at the end of each month, as is the case of first and second class residential areas. "We, therefore, have to adopt and apply 'the polluter pays policy' in Accra, to support the AMA in paying these contractors," he said.