The Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly is raising alarm over an escalating crisis in the Gbebu Glife Gbegbeyise area, where armed scavengers have taken control of an illegal dump site.

The area has been overwhelmed by unregulated waste, with heavily armed individuals reportedly protecting the site and defying all attempts by authorities to stop the activity.

Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Samuel Tete, described the situation as both a security and environmental emergency.

"We are helpless. Not even the military deters the armed scavengers," Mr Tete said. "They are armed. They have machetes and guns. This is an illegal dump site. People have taken the law into their own hands."

Mr Tete revealed that the dumping has been ongoing since 2021. Despite multiple interventions—including the deployment of military personnel on three occasions—the illegal activity persists.

"We brought in military personnel about three times. But as soon as they leave, the dumping starts again. We've seized more than 50 tricycles just to stop them, but it hasn’t worked."

To discourage offenders, the Assembly imposed a fine of 1,000 Ghana cedis per tricycle and returned the seized vehicles only after the owners signed undertakings not to return.

However, many have reportedly resumed dumping.

"They paid and we gave the tricycles back. But many of them came back. Before you can even arrest anyone, they flee and leave the tricycles behind."

According to the Assembly, cleaning and restoring the site would cost around seven million Ghana cedis an amount far beyond the Assembly’s internally generated funds (IGF).

"If we use 20% of our IGF, it would take decades. We need help. Our IGF is about 5.6 million Ghana cedis. We cannot handle this alone," Mr Tete added.

Despite its illegality, the dump site has become a source of livelihood for some individuals who scavenge for plastic and metal materials to resell.

One of them, Isidu Bright, said he came from Koforidua to seek work in Accra and now depends on the dump for daily survival.

"We’ve been picking damaged rubbers. They refine them and use them again. We’re not the ones bringing the rubbish here," he said. "Sometimes we don’t even get enough for three meals a day."

Asked how he would feel if the Assembly decided to clear the site, Bright responded, “I don’t know what to say. I can’t say much about that.”

Mr Tete expressed hope that the incoming Municipal Chief Executive would provide the leadership needed to bring the situation under control.

"We believe he will give us direction, going forward, we’re considering handing offenders over to the police for prosecution."

As it stands, the illegal dumping continues to pose a major threat to public health and safety in the area.

The Assembly is now appealing directly to central government for urgent intervention before the situation worsens.

Apart from the issue of the illegal dumpsite, all assemblies visited by the committee have complained about Zoomlion's ineffectiveness in the provision of waste containers, fumigation, and the timely lifting of containers, as outlined in the Sanitation Improvement Package (SIP).

Addressing the media at the dumpsite, the MP for Mampong and member of the Sanitation Committee, Kwaku Apretwu-Sarpong, stated that opening up the sanitation sector to more competitors would help address the many infractions committed by the waste management company, Zoomlion.

Chairman of the Committee, John Oti Bless, says that in the interim, the committee will invite Zoomlion to respond to the infractions reported by the assemblies.

The committee will also meet with the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, on Wednesday, April 15, to discuss the matter.