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Editorial

Major waste crisis imminent as landfill sites are choked

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Thomas Partey

In addition to the severe flooding that Accra is already experiencing a major sanitation crisis is imminent as the Kpone dump approaches closure.

Currently, there are now just two significant disposal sites in the area: the Adepa dumpsite in the Ga West Municipal Assembly, which is close to Amasaman, and the Kpone Waste Landfill.

Inquiries so far, revealed that the Kpone site is almost at capacity and will likely close in the next six months. As a result, waste is accumulating at local markets and municipal collection points throughout the capital.

The situation has been made worse by the recent terrible floods, and immediate action is required to prevent the impending crisis.

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The fundamental issue is that accumulating uncollected waste during rainy seasons poses significant threats to public health, including the possibility of cholera, typhoid, and malaria outbreaks.

Subsequent investigations showed that the Kpone plant, which was initially built to manage 500 tonnes of waste per day, has been handling almost twice that much, shortening its lifespan.

Many towns’ waste collection operations have been badly impacted by this looming shutdown, and the fact that Accra has few disposal choices is even more disturbing.

Now, waste collection vehicles face abnormally long queues at the Kpone site, and residents complain that most of the tricycles, referred to as “Aboboyaa,” leave rubbish uncollected in residential and commercial areas.

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Although the Zoompak waste transfer station was authorised by the government to reopen in order to help manage daily waste volumes, it is still unable to handle the enormous volumes of waste generated every day.

According to Dr. Peter Kwesi Dagadu, Managing Director of the Landfills Company Limited, managing the capital’s expanding waste burden has become extremely difficult due to the scarcity of disposal facilities, especially in light of the city’s fast population increase and rising waste production.

As a result, the situation has put a great deal of strain on the infrastructure already in place and jeopardizes attempts to keep Accra’s waste management system sustainable and effective.

The Spectator agrees with him that new infrastructure for disposing of waste is desperately needed, as a change to a more environmentally friendly waste management techniques.

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It is admirable that he suggests Ghana adopt recycling and garbage recovery as a long-term solution to the nation’s sanitation problems.

We therefore, implore the government to support this recycling objective by enacting strict laws, regulations, investments, and enforcement measures to enhance waste management nationwide. 

In order to address the waste problem as quickly as possible, everyone must be involved, including private waste management companies, individuals, and households.

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Editorial

No life should be lost over allegations

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Dear Editor,

The recent death of Nana Yaw, also known as Dinero/Terry, has left various communities deeply shaken over the circumstances under which a life was lost.

Reports suggest that he went missing after a phone transaction in Teshie and was later found dead. Allegations have circulated that he visited a female friend despite having a pregnant wife at home.

Even if such allegations were true, does that mean he deserved to die? The answer is no. Infidelity is a moral failing, but it is not a crime punishable by death. To suggest otherwise is to normalize violence and diminish the value of human life.

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This tragedy should remind us of the urgent need for justice and accountability. His family especially his expectant wife deserves compassion, not judgment. As a community, we must reject victim‑blaming and focus on preventing such senseless losses in the future.

Nana Yaw’s death is not just a personal tragedy, it is a call to action. 

We must demand thorough investigation, ensure those responsible are held accountable, and commit ourselves to building a society where disagreements and mistakes do not end in violence.

Princess Wonovi, 

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Editorial

Take quick action to rebuild Percheyire R/C Basic School

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The situation at Percheyire R/C Basic School in the Yilo Krobo district is a warning concerning Ghana’s rural education facilities as pupils in Primary four through six are forced to learn inside a building of mud walls, worn-out roofing sheets, and rotting wooden pillars.

It is more than just an infrastructural shortfall. It indicates a fundamental failing of public safety and educational justice. 

Every day, when pupils and teachers arrive at school, their safety is in danger because a school building has such fundamental flaws that it could collapse during a storm.

The classroom is now a hazard rather than a haven for learning for the 30 upper primary pupils and their teachers. A single extreme weather event could cause a mud construction to fall dangerously because it depends on makeshift timber pillars. 

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These children are routinely deprived of the instructional hours that the national curriculum promises them when the arrival of rain inevitably necessitates the suspension of classes to save lives, books, and furniture. 

A deeper systemic problem is revealed when Rev. Elizabeth Korasare, a former teacher, reveals that this identical arrangement has not changed in 38 years. 

Some proponents contend that local government institutions like the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the District Assembly are solely to blame for the main failure. Actual rehabilitation has been postponed due to administrative inactivity, despite official site visits and reports submitted by the school administration. 

According to this viewpoint, there is a problem with the way emergency educational funds are allocated and prioritised when a community school is left in a dangerous condition for decades while waiting for budgetary allocations.

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This point of view highlights the necessity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and public-private collaborations. When state machinery fails, supporters contend that combining corporate money with citizen mobilisation provides a more flexible way to replace deteriorating structures.

It is a pity that Percheyire R/C Basic School’s surrounding infrastructure worsens the school’s structural deterioration. Children travelling from nearby communities like Togodo are severely restricted in their access due to an inadequate road network.

When more than 60 school-aged children in a single nearby town are cut off from regular attendance due to distance and bad roads, the school’s capacity to raise the district is substantially limited. A contemporary classroom block will only be successful if students can get there safely.

The lives of Percheyire’s pupils and teachers are at risk, therefore the Spectator is pleading with the Yilo Krobo District Assembly and other interested parties to rebuild the primary block.

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