Features
Can the sanitation success story of KMA be sustained?
The mission statement of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) is aimed at “keeping the city clean and healthy by the provision and delivery of effective and efficient waste collection services and programmes, and environmentally accepted disposal.”
Among others, KMA is supposed to provide conveniently situated refuse disposal points, all in the name of proper sanitation without which the health of its population is at risk.
It is in view of these that when MrOsei- Assibey- Antwi, assumed office as the Chief Executive of the KMA, in March 2017,all eyes were on him to create an enabling environment for development and healthy living.
In fact, he took office at the time Kumasi metropolis had been engulfed in filth. There were mountains of refuse at vintage points in the metropolis much to the dismay of residents who were expecting a lot from his leadership to help ensure proper sanitation of the metropolis and its environs.
Some residents had, even taken the law onto themselves to do their own thing at the expense of the beauty of the once touted “Garden City of West Africa”.
Bringing sanity to the Kumasi metropolis, would demand leadership with strong and bold decisions coupled with measures and action plans devoid of politics.
It is quite interesting to note that, the dynamism employed by the Chief Executive saw Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana, named among the top 15 cleanest cities in Africa in 2020, according to a ranking which considers cities which prioritise cleanliness and solid waste collection.
Kumasi occupied the 12th position after Accra the national capital placed third on the list topped by Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
The list contained the following cities : Kigali-Rwanda, Windhoek-Namibia, Accra Ghana, Gaborone – Botswana, Dar-es- Salaam-Tanzania, Johannesburg-South Africa, Port Louis Mauritius, Tunis-Tunisia, Cape Town-South Africa, Nairobi-Kenya, Libreville-Gabon, Kumasi -Ghana, Algiers-Algeria, Asmara-Eritrea, Ouagadougou -Burkina Faso, in that order.The feat was as a result of a sustained sanitation strategies by KMA.
Over the years the KMA had followed some sustainable strategies and a series of activities in the area of solid waste collection including the provision of the door-to-door and communal waste collection services.
Defending the ranking, MrAssibey-Antwi said the KMA took steps to regularise the operations of tricycles (Aboboyaa) to further improve solid waste collection within the metropolis by identifying these service providers through colours and registering them with serial numbers to ensure the effective use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all times and to ensure that all tricycles filled with waste were covered with nets to avoid spillage.
His leadership style has brought improvement also in the private sector participation by regularising the solid waste collection contracts and procuring solid waste containers to be placed at the communal collection sites to maintain its position on the continent.
A number of communal collection sites were improved through the provision of skip pads with roofing under the partnership with private waste companies in the provision of trucks and bins to enable the Assembly carry out its house-to-house refuse collection.
In line with the President’s vision of making Ghana clean and the Assembly’s own mandate of providing a conducive environment for the inhabitants and businesses, the Assibey-Antwi led administration launched the, “Keep Kumasi Clean and Green Project”, with the aim of restoring Kumasi to its past glory of “Garden City”.
The project saw the planting of hundreds of seedlings of different species at various locations and the installation of hundreds of bins at vantage points within the Central Business District.
To power the project, the Assembly received DAF refuse compaction truck, 40ft ford compaction truck, two Pick-ups, 10 tricycles and five tricycles donated by VIP Bus Company Limited and Zoomlion Ghana Limited to support the street sweeping and drain cleaning .
Recognising that effective waste management does not only entail storage, collection and transportation of waste but also providing the appropriate place for proper disposal or reuse of the waste materials, KMA under the leadership of MrAssibey- Antwi, single handedly managed the Landfill when the Contractor, J. Stanley Owusu Limited vacated the site due to non-payment by devising a means of ensuring that things were properly managed within limited resources by procuring a landfill dozer and communal containers under the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project.
It was as a result of the measures effectively put in place that the KMA was, in 2019, adjudged the best Liquid Waste Management Strategy in Ghana, in a Sanitation Challenge or competition organised by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, with support from foreign partners which about 139 other Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country participated.
The remarkable feat came with an award of 400,000.00 Pounds Sterling in a competition which was geared towards bringing transformational change to the city.
With financial support from the Sanitation Challenge for Ghana, the KMA implemented a number of projects and programmes to improve liquid waste management in the metropolis.
These include improving Water,Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in four public schools in the construction of four 10-seater gender sensitive, disability friendly institutional water closet toilets with mechanised borehole and overhead tanks for four schools namely, Amankwatia, Anyaano, Bantama State Boys and St. Cyprians M/A Cluster of Schools.
The project strengthened the enforcement of sanitation bye-laws and provision of logistical support, procurement and distribution of 15 motorbikes to all the Sub-Metro Environmental Health and Sanitation Units to facilitate their movements to the communities.
Under this package, the Assembly improved the Liquid Waste Stabilisation Pond at the Oti Landfill Site through the desilting of ponds and storm drains, construction of concrete platform and headworks for direct discharge, installation of coupling hoses and gravelling of kilometre haul area to the site.
Additionally, the Assembly constructed a one kilometre fence wall around the AsafoCentralised Sewer System to halt encroachment by slum dwellers and auto-mechanics.
There is no doubt that waste management that remained the greatest headache of the Assembly, has now been reduced to the barest minimum and the rate at which the citizenry flouted environmental-sanitation bye-laws, has also gone down.
A close view of the sanitation success story of the Assibey- Antwi led KMA can be underlined by the organisation of periodic health education programmes in churches, schools, lorry terminals, mosques, radio stations and routine house-to-house inspections through the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Assembly.
It is, therefore, very important for the sustainability of the sanitation success story as Kumasi desreves to be clean and healthy. Whoever takes over should bear in mind the improvement of sanitation in the metropolis.
For cleanliness, they say, is next to Godliness; and Kumasi deserves the best.
By Kingsley E. Hope.
Features
Preventing the brain’s melting point with BOS
The human brain is a complex and delicate organ, susceptible to damage from various factors, including extreme temperatures.
The brain’s melting point, also known as the temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade, is a critical concern for individuals seeking to maintain optimal cognitive function.
Fortunately, the Brain Operating System (BOS) offers a revolutionary solution to prevent the brain’s melting point.
Understanding the brain’s melting point
The brain’s melting point refers to the temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade, leading to irreversible damage.
This temperature threshold varies depending on individual factors, such as age, health, and environmental conditions. However, research suggests that the brain’s melting point is approximately 104°F (40°C) to 107°F (42°C).
The role of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point
BOS, a cutting-edge technology, plays a crucial role in preventing the brain’s melting point. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial intelligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain temperature, ensuring that it remains within a safe range.
How BOS prevents the brain’s melting point
BOS prevents the brain’s melting point through several mechanisms:
1. Temperature regulation: BOS continuously monitors brain temperature, adjusting neural activity to maintain a stable temperature.
2. Heat dissipation: BOS enhances heat dissipation through increased blood flow and sweating.
3. Neuro protection: BOS protects neurons from heat-induced damage.
Benefits of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point
The benefits of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point are numerous:
1. Prevents brain damage: BOS prevents brain damage caused by excessive heat.
2. Maintains cognitive function: BOS ensures optimal cognitive function by maintaining stable brain temperature.
3. Enhances brain resilience: BOS enhances brain resilience to temperature fluctuations.
Real-World applications of BOS
BOS has various real-world applications:
1. High-performance computing: BOS enables high-performance computing by maintaining optimal brain temperature.
2. Medical applications: BOS has medical applications, such as treating heat-related illnesses.
3. Space exploration: BOS is crucial for space exploration, where extreme temperatures pose a significant risk.
Conclusion
BOS is a revolutionary technology that prevents the brain’s melting point, ensuring optimal cognitive function and overall well-being. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial intelligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain temperature, protecting against heat-related damage.
Glossary:
1. BOS: Brain Operating System.
2. Brain’s melting point: Temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade.
3. Neural interface: Connects human brain with digital devices.
Contact Information
virginvtech@yahoo.com
Additional resources:
1. BOS research: Explore scientific studies.
2. Neural interface resources: Discover books and articles.
3. Brain-computer interface communities: Join online forums.
Future directions
As BOS technology continues to evolve, we can expect:
1. Improved temperature regulation: Enhanced temperature regulation mechanisms.
2. Increased cognitive enhancement: Advanced cognitive enhancement capabilities.
3. Expanded applications: New applications in various fields.
By harnessing the power of BOS, individuals can safeguard their brain health and maintain optimal cognitive function, even in extreme environments.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Features
Lotto wahala and Tuobodom palaver
In Sikaman lotto is not a game. It is a profession, a noble career which people aspire to. It is the highest paying profession after armed robbery and the most widespread job on this side of the Atlantic.
In places like China, lotto is a disease that has no cure. Once you are infected, no doctor on earth can cure you. May be Kofi Larteh, Ghana’s most celebrated magician, can help ease the symptoms, but no definitive cure will be forthcoming.
Coming back to Sikaman, lotto has been the financial messiah of many. That is how people look after their large families, pay school fees, marry two wives and do their own ‘monkey things.’
If you are very poor and you win a lottery, chances are that you will die before you even collect the money. You’ll die out of excitement or you’ll start day-dreaming in the streets and an articulated truck will hit you.
As such, very heavy wins are not recommended for poor people, lest they get listed too soon in the obituary columns.
The sad story is told of a heavy-duty caterpillar driver who had a very heavy lotto windfall of several millions, his first big win after several years.
CATERPILLAR
He was driving the caterpillar home when he saw his son running towards him, shouting. “All your numbers have dropped! All your numbers have dropped! He could not believe his ears.
All the four numbers he had staked had dropped and his son, who had gone to stake them for him, was himself over-excited. The poor caterpillar man just could not handle the good news. He suddenly stepped on the brakes and the caterpillar jolted him a trifle too violently, throwing him off. He landed right in front of the still moving heavy-duty machine and it crushed him flat.
I don’t think the bloke would have died if he had won a smaller amount. Sometimes too much cash is not good for the health.
Seldom, people get too confident and that can also result in a wake-keeping, like that of a man who used his lifetime savings and borrowed extra money to crack the machine with a two-sure that the compiler must compulsory drop or the world will end.
Even the shadows of the numbers or their counterparts were nowhere near the winning numbers. His shock-absorbers crumbled under the weight of the heavy disappointment. He crashed to the floor and started foaming at the mouth. He was declared dead on arrival at the nearest clinic.
WINDFALL
Recently, there was a countrywide lotto windfall, and in Kumasi it was more than a festival. Most stakers had between ¢30m and ¢40 million on two-sure that the lotto magicians had predicted at least three weeks earlier,
Kejetia chop bars were besieged with overnight millionaires, carrying huge appetites induced by Opeimu Bitters popularly called Opeimu Peters. All the meat and mudfish got sold out within an hour and procurement agents had to double up to restock.
While some were celebrating, others were weeping and gnashing teeth. The problem was that, three weeks beforehand, the two sure numbers were declared by all the lotto sorcerers, dreamers, magicians, tellers and all the self-appointed and self-promoted forecasters.
Everybody including 10-year-olds, who staked and lost. The following week, they were advised to continue staking. The faithful did continue but the faithless stopped. All of them lost. In the third week or so, a good number of confident stakers had lost faith in the two numbers. That was when the number landed.
So the windfall was for only those who had the unshakeable faith in the numbers. See what faith can do? It can move dollars. Don’t waver, so saith the holy scriptures.
The faithless indeed gnashed teeth. The winners on the other hand celebrated with a song that is as controversial as the business of lotto. It is a song played by the group called Nkasei and has something to do with a town in the Brong Ahafo Region called Tuobodom whose capital we hear is Jinijini.
I hear it is a derogatory song and the queen mother of Tuobodom got charged and breathed out electric current during her protest on air. She allegedly ended up demanding a mobile phone from Nkasei so that she could communicate with them to settle the matter peacefully, lest wahala.
Well, the song is rising up the charts and Nkasei are making the dough, but should it be at the expense of a whole townsfolk, their forebears and generations to come?
WATERPROOF
Waterproof, the famous comedian, was allegedly given hefty slaps at the Kumasi rail station by some Frafra jingoists who felt he was deriding their tribe. And Bob Okala had to run with his tail between his legs when he was confronted and realised that slaps were going to be visited on his lean face.
Let’s not use words and lyrics to cause discomfort to others.
This article was first published on Saturday July 9, 2005
