The Atwima Kwanwoma District Assembly organized a community durbar at Brofoyedu Pentecost Church, in the Area Council on Friday 29th July, 2022. Hon. Prince Karikari, the District Chief Executive, Madam Eunice Korankye, the District Co-ordinating Director, as well as some heads of departments and Assembly Members were present to interact with the congregation and members of the community.
The durbar formed part of the annual community engagement by the DCE with the communities in the district.
Present at the gathering were the Clergy, Imams, Zongo Chiefs, Traditional leaders, Opinions leaders, identifiable groups, traders and other invited personalities. This was carefully done to curtail and mitigate the spread of some communicable diseases in the district.
The interactions centered on management of waste in the community and its environs and the district at large.
SANITATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
Touching on the above issues, the DCE urged all to adopt the practice of keeping the environment clean and tidy as the Holy Book teaches, ‘’cleanliness is next to Godliness’’. He said, Atwima Kwanwoma District Assembly was doing all it could to make the District, a clean city, but would need the support of all and sundry.
He added, that, if we do not contribute to the cleanliness in our society, no amount of development would change our environment, so we must all get involved in making our environment clean and green. We should all be each other’s keeper and watch dog to monitor who so ever litter the environment and try to bring them to book without fear or favour, he said.
Mr. Karikari, stated that the Assembly is embarking on “keeping the district Clean” and have charged the environmental office to enforce all sanitation bye-laws in the District to deal with people who flout the law. He urged the leadership of Brofoyedu to collaborate to ensure the success of the exercise.
FOOD SCREENING EXERCISE
On food screening, the DCE urged all who are into the sale of cooked food within the district to adhere to the rules on cooking for the consumption of all.
He stated that once you decide to sell food to the public, you must undergo a health screening exercise by the Assembly. He indicated that, it is against the AKD A Bye-laws to start cooking when you have not been screened and certified by the Assembly.
Hon. Prince Karikari informed the gathering that this is enshrined in the Public Health Act of the country.
He gave the following steps to be followed by all potential food vendors;
- Pick up a form at the Environment Health Unit.
- Go to any recognized laboratory to be screened on specific health areas stated on the forms.
- Bring back the laboratory results and forms to make payment.
- Base on the result from the laboratory, the Environmental Health Unit issues a certificate signed by the DCD.
- The certificate is valid for a year and renewed after it expires.
These simple steps when violated will have the offender being sent to court for prosecution.The DCE advised the gathering to spread the message on proper food hygiene so that our health will improve.
CONCLUSION
Elder Boakye Dankwaa of the Brofoyedu Pentecostal Church assured the DCE of the church’s support of doing its best in such engagements whenever the need arise.The DCE also urged Nananom and the entire community to come on board to fix the numerous challenges confronted with the district. SOURCE;SAMUEL ANTWI ISD