Story: Joe Okyere, Ajumako Kokoben
THE chief of Essaman near Elmina, Nana Kwesi Tandoh IV, has threatened to stop the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipal Assembly from dumping liquid and solid waste at the dumping site in the community.
He said if it was established that a new recycling plant for the district was sited at Aburansa near Komenda, he and his people would advise themselves.
"We wish to assure the assembly that if it decides to maintain its position to relocate the recycling plant at Aburansa, we shall leave no stone unturned in going any length to fully recover our land and also destroy the dumping site," Nana Tandoh warned.
He said the community would further demand GH¢15,000 from the assembly for using the area as a dumping site for the past 16 years without paying anything.
Addressing a news conference to express his displeasure at the rumours, Nana Tandoh explained that soon after the KEEA District was created out of the Cape Coast District in 1992, the then District Chief Executive for the area entered into a “gentleman's agreement” with the community to provide land for dumping waste.
He said it was agreed that any commercial venture to process the waste into useful economic ventures like recycling of plastic waste would be sited at Essaman.
According to Nana Tandoh, the chief and elders of the town did not collect any money for the 16.32 acre land released to the assembly, with the understanding that the land would be used as equity for the community when no other community was ready to give out land for that purpose.
Nana Tandoh said the waste site unusually bred huge and biting flies, which infected community members with diseases.
He noted that it was being rumoured that a group of individuals, inlcuding (Nana Tandoh) himself had set up a company to recycle plastic waste at Aburansa.
According to him, the rumours indicated that because he (Nana Tandoh) was a partner in the company, he had kept quiet about the issue.
He stressed that he knew nothing about any such company and therefore urged the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to probe the issue to clear his name, since his credibility and honour were at stake.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for KEEA, Mr George Frank Asmah, in an interview, reacted to the issue, saying that there was no written agreement anywhere between the assembly and the community to site a plant there.
He said the assembly had the right to locate anything anywhere once it was within the law.
Mr Asmah explained that Sesame would have a subsidiary site where the raw materials would be processed and taken to Aburansa for processing, adding that the recycling plant project at Aburansa was going on smoothly.
He said school buildings near the dumping site at Essaman were being turned into warehouses and the schools relocated to pave the way for the subsidiary site project to kick off.
According to the MCE, Essaman would benefit from a plant to recycle liquid waste into electricity for the community and another project to turn waste into fertiliser.
He urged the people to support the assembly in its quest to ensure total development of the area.
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