Police arrest 78 cesspit truck drivers for illegal demonstration

Seventy-eight cesspit truck drivers and operators have been arrested by the Greater Accra Police Operations team for flouting the Public Order Act by demonstrating illegally. The 78, who are among other liquid waste operators, on Tuesday, blocked the road leading to the animal husbandry area near Adjirigaano and smeared faeces on portions of the road to protest their unhappiness against the closure of a human waste dumping site by the Tema West Municipality.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kwesi Fori, Greater Accra Regional Operations Commander, told the media at the premises that following directives from the Tema West Municipal Assembly for the formal closure of the toilet dumping grounds at the animal husbandry area, the operators and drivers were directed to dump at James Town treatment plant, Adjinkotokou or the botanical garden treatment plants.

ACP Fori said the TWMA made it known to them that they were dumping at an open place which was against public health, safety and security.

He added that they did not hid to the directive but “took the law to themselves, came in here blocked the road, made it unmotorable, and dump some of the human waste on the road."

“In view of this, the Regional Police Operations team came in and arrested 78 of them and have been transported to the regional head office for investigations, ” he said adding that they would be questioned and cautioned after which normal police procedure would continue.

He warned the operators, drivers and their associates to respect and obey the laws of the country as the police would not tolerate any act of lawlessness.

Meanwhile, Pastor Daniel Nii Odartey Lamptey, President of the Liquid Waste Truck Drivers Association, and a board member of the Environmental Service Providers Association, said when the TWMA decided to shut the place down, he approached the drivers operating from Tema and Adjirigaano to join the association to enable them have a strong front to address their issues.

Rev Lamptey said they were reluctant as according to them, the Assembly could not shut the place down adding that he had a call on Tuesday morning that the drivers were at the premises demonstrating and therefore rushed to the scene.