...INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE OVERHAULED (PAGE 29, NOV 27)

The Tema Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, has announced the assembly's plans to overhaul the entire development infrastructure of the metropolis to enhance its standard .
As a first step, he said the assembly was instituting a town hall meeting to be held across the metropolis to collate information from the grassroots and also advocate strict adherence to its bye-laws .
Mr Ofosuware made the pronouncement in Tema during an interaction with the media during the Assembly's Core Heads meetings last Monday .
He stated that the development exercise would cover waste management, sanitation, development control and road rehabilitation .
Mr Ofosuware expressed concern about the deteriorating state of the metropolis, emphasising the indiscriminate dumping of heavy materials and domestic waste in open drains, irregular payment of refuse collection fees and inadequate equipment and limited logistics .
The chief executive said the assembly would ensure that all departments operating under it worked seriously to redeem their image .
He noted that the TMA, like all other assemblies, was beset with many challenges, including revenue mobilisation, adding that the assembly would with immediate effect comb through the metropolis to ensure that people who had arrears their in levies and property rates paid up.
Mr Ofosuware said since his assumption of office, he had embarked on an outreach programme to interact with traditional rulers, opinion leaders, corporate bodies and the residents, with the intention of assessing and observing at first-hand the true state of affairs to enable him to map out programmes that would mitigate the problems .
He said the assembly was dialoguing with the Ministry of Roads and Highways and was optimistic that very soon all roads in Tema would be renovated.
He disclosed that the assembly was discussing with a recycling company the possibility of collecting solid waste generated in the metropolis to be turned into energy cubes, fertiliser, clinker, among others.
Mr Ofosuware said all areas which had been encroached on would be retrieved, and unauthorised structures within the Sakumono Ramser site and along all ceremonial and major roads in the metropolis extending from the business centre, through the dual roads and the Akosombo road, would be removed .
Mr Ofosuware, therefore, appealed to the media to assist the assembly to put acrross its programmes to the public in order to prepare the minds of the people for any action from the assembly.
He announced that the assembly, in its bid to keep the metropolis clean, had commissioned an independent panel to determine the cleanest community, which would be awarded a package to motivate them in order to encourage others.