Adipa residents give gov’t 7 days to halt Agbogbloshie waste transfer

Residents of the Adipa/Asiaw Electoral Area in the Eastern Region have given the government a seven-day ultimatum to halt the transfer of tonnes of waste from the Agbogbloshie enclave to the Adipa landfill site and engage them over concerns surrounding the facility.

The residents have threatened to block all roads leading to the dumpsite if the authorities fail to address their concerns within the stipulated period.

They say the continued disposal of waste at the site has left the community dealing with heaps of garbage, offensive odours and concerns about possible groundwater contamination, particularly during periods of rainfall.

Addressing journalists on Monday, September 28, the Assembly Member for the Adipa/Asiaw Electoral Area, Emmanuel Asamoah, called for an independent environmental and health impact assessment of the landfill site.

He said the assessment should be followed by a comprehensive cleanup and decontamination exercise in affected areas, with the responsible authorities bearing the cost.

The residents are also demanding the installation of permanent security barriers and other measures to prevent illegal dumping at the site.

In addition, they want municipal authorities to organise a public forum within seven days to present a transparent and long-term waste management plan for the area.

Mr Asamoah stressed that the residents were not opposed to properly regulated waste management but objected to what they described as the community being used as a dumping ground without adequate consultation.

We are not against a fair, well-regulated waste management system, but we are against being treated as an afterthought, a convenient dumping ground for problems the capital does not want to face at all.”

He warned that failure by the government, relevant authorities and the company operating the facility to respond within the seven-day period would trigger further action from the community.

If within the seven days, which starts from today, exactly one week from today, if we don’t hear any response from the government, responsible authorities, the operating company, we are going to block all roads leading to the dumping site.”

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has questioned the decision to transport waste from Agbogbloshie to the Adipa landfill without what he described as adequate consultation with stakeholders.

The Minority Chief Whip said the arrangement raises concerns about residents’ right to a clean environment.

He also questioned whether the waste transfer arrangement is consistent with the Sustainable Development Goal on responsible waste management and transportation.

The concerns come amid ongoing efforts to relocate waste from the Agbogbloshie area, with residents in Adipa calling for greater transparency, environmental safeguards and meaningful engagement before the landfill continues to receive large volumes of waste.