Mr daniel dotse eklo:r Daniel Dotse Eklo, the Environmental Health Analyst and Hohoe Municipal Assembly Prosecutor, has cautioned the public on the failure to participate in national exercises. He said the National Sanitation Day (NSD) exercise held every first Thursday of each month was compulsory and legally binding on every citizen.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Eklo, speaking after securing convictions for some six defaulters, said court convictions were not just about paying a fine or serving a jail term. He emphasized that it could lead to a dent on an individual's records in the future, hence the need for all to do their best to avoid such convictions.
Mr Eklo highlighted that most citizens in the Municipality were failing to comply with the directive despite several engagements and information disseminated through media platforms when the day was due for the exercise. He noted that some traders who owned shops along the roadside would not participate in cleaning the drains and the environment as directed by the Assembly but would instead open their shops and sell to the public.
The prosecutor mentioned that the six convicts were first-time offenders, but their prosecution would serve as a deterrent to others. He stressed that sanitation is a collective responsibility, and everyone must rally to keep the environment clean to make the municipality a clean and pleasant place.
Additionally, Mr Eklo warned that any individuals or groups who attempted to distract or prevent sanitation officers from carrying out their duties were liable for an offence. The six convicts were fined between GHS 180 and GHS 240, or they would serve a one-month prison term.