Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has taken a swipe at some heads of local assemblies under his purview, accusing them of poorly managing a project by the Regional Co-ordinating Council to clean and beautify road medians in the region.

He says the lackadaisical and uncaring behaviour of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) led to the sudden discontinuation of the Sustainable Cleaning, Greening and Beautification of Ashanti project, which started five years ago.

The worried minister spoke at a meeting with the MMDCEs in the Ashanti region.

“I say with some regret that this project was originally launched in 2018 but was stalled due to the lackadaisical and uncaring attitudes of MMDCEs in the piloted areas. This time it should not fail,” he said.

The initiative aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change and safeguarding the environment was relaunched in 2021.

The Ashanti project was to be piloted in 13 assemblies within the Greater Kumasi metropolis.

The Minister noted that the second phase of the project is currently ongoing under the Cleaning and Greening component.

Some 5,000 Royal Palm trees are expected to be planted in medians of the city’s ceremonial routes while sand and weeds will be cleared.

“These tree seedlings are being caged to prevent destruction by animals and pedestrians. The medians and road shoulders are also being cleared of sand and weeds that have accumulated over the period,” said the Minister.

The Sustainable Cleaning, Greening and Beautification project is being implemented in collaboration with Zoomlion Company Limited.

A recent report by Luv FM’s Emmanuel Bright Quaicoe highlighted the sorry state of some medians in the region, including some at the iconic Otumfuo Roundabout at Kejetia which had turned into a garbage den.

It was impossible to walk past the intersection at the redeveloped Kejetia Market without witnessing the bizarre spectacle of garbage heaps and weedy sand mounds on medians along the route.

The local assembly erected metallic fences round the medians nearly a year ago, after the greens grown there were trampled.

Parts of the metallic fence were vandalised.

After the JoyNews report, the broken metallic fence has been fixed and the weeds cleared but the confined clayey ground thirsts for greenery.

Metallic wire mesh erected again

Mr. Osei Mensah assured that painting of the medians as part of the beautification project would soon commence.

“The beautification component will be handled soon, with the painting of medians and curbs of the ceremonial routes,” he said.

He urged local leaders to grow seedlings and ensure wholesome conditions of streets in their respective communities as they will be monitored.

“I would like to urge all MMDCEs to take up the responsibility of growing the seedlings and cleaning the streets. This time it should not fail. MMDCEs, you will be monitored and assessed on your involvement in the success of this project,” he said.