Filed by: Fayilatu Issah
The Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alhaji Issah Nurah Danwanaa, says the deployment of City Guards in the municipality will help curb lawlessness and ensure strict enforcement of the Assembly’s bylaws.
Speaking on Radio Mak, Alhaji Danwanaa said the initiative had become necessary because some residents continued to disregard municipal regulations and, in some instances, took the law into their own hands.
He said the situation had been compounded by recent disturbances in parts of the region and the country, including the Sawla enclave and parts of the Wa West District, which had resulted in the deployment of security personnel, particularly police officers, to those areas.
According to the MCE, the redeployment of police personnel had reduced the number of officers available to maintain law and order in the Wa Municipality, making the City Guards an important addition to the municipality’s enforcement efforts.
He explained that the City Guards would work closely with the Ghana Police Service to complement the work of the police and help maintain law and order across the municipality to reduce indiscipline.
Alhaji Danwanaa said their activities would also contribute to reducing road accidents by preventing traders from operating on roads and parking areas, where such activities often obstruct the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
He added that the City Guards would also deal with youth groups and other organisations that organise rallies on roads without the necessary permits.According to him, such activities could create congestion and increase the risk of road accidents.
The MCE expressed confidence that the collaboration between the City Guards and the police would strengthen law enforcement and promote greater compliance with the Assembly’s bylaws.
Sanitation enforcement
Alhaji Danwanaa further disclosed that the enforcement of sanitation bylaws would form part of the responsibilities of the City Guards.
He identified indiscriminate dumping of waste as one of the major sanitation challenges confronting the municipality, despite various interventions by the Assembly to address the problem.
He said the City Guards would assist in enforcing sanitation regulations and ensure that residents complied with the municipality’s laws on waste disposal.
The MCE believes strict enforcement of the sanitation bylaws would contribute to creating a cleaner, safer and healthier environment for residents.
Recruitment and military training
On the training of the City Guards, Alhaji Danwanaa explained that the Assembly adopted a multi-stage recruitment and screening process to ensure that only suitable persons were selected.
He said the Assembly initially recruited 40 people, but the number was subsequently reduced to 25. Following further assessments, 20 recruits were eventually presented to the military for training.
According to him, the recruits underwent medical and other forms of screening to determine their suitability for the assignment, including checks for substance abuse.
The selected recruits were subsequently sent to the hospital for further medical examinations and screening before proceeding to the training programme.
Alhaji Danwanaa said the recruits underwent an intensive one-week training programme conducted by the military and were camped at the military barracks throughout the period.
He explained that the training also involved other relevant institutions to equip the recruits with the knowledge and skills required for their duties.
Personnel from the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), he said, visited the camp to train the recruits on traffic management and how to handle situations that could arise in the course of their duties.
The Ghana Road Safety Authority also provided road safety education, while the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) exposed the recruits to other relevant areas of road safety and traffic management.
The MCE said the City Guards were presented with certificates after successfully completing the training during their passing-out ceremony.
City Guards to work under police supervision
Alhaji Danwanaa further explained that the City Guards would work closely with the Ghana Police Service and report directly to the police as part of efforts to maintain law and order within the municipality.
He said following their graduation, the City Guards were brought back to the Assembly, where their initial assignment was to tour various parts of the municipality to identify challenges and problems they had been trained to address.
He added that the guards had also embarked on an awareness exercise to introduce themselves to residents and explain their mandate.
According to the MCE, the Assembly is continuing its engagement with other stakeholders to ensure that residents are adequately informed about the role, responsibilities and limits of the City Guards.
He urged residents to cooperate with the City Guards and comply with the Assembly’s bylaws to help promote law and order, road safety, sanitation and orderly development within the Wa Municipality.
