Accra: The Ablekuma West Municipality is grappling with an illegal dumpsite overrun by armed scavengers, sparking concerns about public health and safety. Despite military interventions and fines, the issue persists. “We are helpless. Not even the military deters the armed scavengers,” Mr. Samuel Tete, the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, said. Mr. Tete revealed this during a working visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources in Accra on Tuesday.

According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Tete stated that restoring the area was estimated to cost GHS7 million, which far exceeds the Assembly’s internally generated funds of GHS5.6 million. “We need help,” Mr. Tete pleaded. Meanwhile, some scavengers rely on the site for survival. “Sometimes we don’t even get enough for three meals a day,” a young man who spoke on condition of anonymity stated.

Mr. John Otis Bless, Chairman of the Committee, mentioned that the Parliamentary Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources promised to address the issue. He criticised Zoomlion’s performance and suggested that increased competition in the waste sector might help resolve inefficiencies.