Magistrate Court in Elmina in the Central Region has fined 14 people for openly defecating in an area which is a tourist attraction.
The first set of people, numbering eight, was sent to court on Tuesday, January 24, 2017
The other six culprits were sent on Wednesday, January 25, 2017. Each person was fined Ghc400.00 by the court.
In an interview with Weekend Today shortly after the verdict, the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Sanitation Officer, Mr Alex Kwame Damptey, explained that each culprit would give Ghc100 out of the Ghc 400 to the KEEA Assembly as compensation or in default serve eight months in prison.
According to him, his outfit has done enough education and sensitisation.
He was therefore, in support of the court’s ruling so as to serve as deterrent to others.
“The issue is we have done all we can with regard to education and sensitisation but the people do not see open defecation as a crime and that is why we have started prosecuting them this way to serve as a deterrent to others,” he stated.
Mr Damptey added that considering the fact that Ghana has been ranked very high in open defecation and the recent cholera outbreak in the region where KEEA was not spared, it was prudent for such measures to be taken to address the menace.
“The situation is becoming very alarming and now a security threat so if as an assembly we fold our arms and look on unconcerned, it will cost us dearly as a municipality and a country as a whole.
“Apart from this, the menace is affecting our tourism industry because instead of the tourists enjoying the beaches, they rather step on feaces which taint the image of the town,” he bemoaned.
The sanitation officer pointed out that his outfit will still continue with the education and monitoring to ensure that the situation is brought under control.
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