The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Titus Kwartei Glover, has directed the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive to clear Tema of stray animals, especially cattle.

Mr. Glover said having stray animals all over Tema does not speak well of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA); therefore, action must be taken.

“Stray cattle walking all over the area; it doesn’t speak well of us, so you must make a conscious effort to pick these cattle and send them to the animal husbandry so that their owners will come and pay a token,” he charged.

He said this when the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) embarked on a clean-up exercise in Tema, especially the central business area.

He recalled that growing up in Tema some years ago, stray animals, including dogs and goats, were not allowed, questioning how that has changed, and cattle are just roaming freely.

“Find the owners so they get a place and keep these animals; imagine the president is passing and blocked by these animals that day you will lose your job,” he added.

Touching on the clean-up exercise, the regional minister said it was meant to ensure that the environment is clean, adding that the clean-up exercise series started a couple of months ago, from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) operational area through Ayawaso, La-Dadekotopon, and Ledzokuku.

He said the Tema zone will see to the cleaning of Tema Metro, Tema West, Ashaiman, Kpone-Katamanso, and its surroundings, saying it was being done in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the district assemblies, and traditional councils.

He said it was important to remind citizens of the need to clean their environment and appreciate that filth is the major cause of sickness, noting that if cleaning the environment does not become a priority, the government would continue to spend a lot on health provision.

The two-day exercise was participated in by officials of the RCC, TMA, security agencies, and traders to desilt drains and sweep the market.