The sanitation situation, he emphasised, had become a serious concern that could only be managed properly if the traditional leaders, Assembly Members, and other stakeholders join hands with the assembly.

Mr Ayoo made this call when he paid a courtesy call on traditional and religious leaders on Friday.

The MCE made the appeal to some traditional leaders, opinion leaders and religious leaders, as part of his week-long engagement with them to seek their support towards the development of Bolgatanga and its environs.

At the house of the Regent of Soe, a community in the municipality, Mr Ayoo said the phenomenon of open defecation, indiscriminate refuse disposal, inadequate waste management posed a threat to public health and the environment.

He mentioned that he was going to pursue a vigorous fight against the insanitary canker, and stressed that: “I have been highlighting the issue and calling on the chiefs, Assembly men and women, elders, and opinion leaders to rise to the occasion of helping to get rid of the filth in town.”

As part of plans to lead processes to review the bye-laws in order that stricter ones were implemented and enforced to the latter, Mr Ayoo indicated that the assembly needed to revisit the punishment against people who littered gutters with impunity.

“I think we have to revisit the ‘Samasama’ days where the sanitation inspectors would visit the various houses and offices to sanction people who littered the environment,” he proposed.

Apart from that, he hinted that his outfit would declare a day in every month (a voluntary clean-up exercise day) for residents within the communities in Bolgatanga, in an effort to lessen the phenomenon of unsanitary conditions that breeds diseases.

He said his outfit would promote public education to raise awareness on the issue, and implement effective waste management systems.

Also, the assembly would reduce the canker of open defecation via Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) initiatives and aiding in sustaining sanitation infrastructure.

For his part, the Regent of Soe, Mr Anabila Akanvaa, thanked the MCE and his delegation for paying homage to the palace, and pledged to work hand-in-hand with the leadership of the assembly for the progress of Bolgatanga.

He then asked government not to renege on its pledge to develop the grassroots.

He also advised Mr Ayoo to devise measures to rake in revenue from the markets, stressing, “I urge you to be hard as you deal with the market men and women, since they will always wish to evade taxes, including paying royalties to the assembly”.

Additionally, Mr Akanvaa used the platform to appeal to the MCE to consider reshaping many roads linking the community to other neighbouring communities, so as to make them accessible to commuters.

Again, he indicated that the population of the Soe Electoral Area had grown from strength-to-strength, hence the need for more health and educational projects to ease the overwhelming pressure, particularly on the limited Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compounds.