Issah Abdul-Latif|MakNews
Residents of Sokpayiri, a suburb of Wa in the Wa Municipal Assembly (WMA) of the Upper West Region, are facing serious sanitation challenges as a refuse container in the community has remained full and unattended for several weeks.
The situation has forced residents to dump refuse around the container situtated near a public toilet, creating an unsightly environment and posing health risks to people living and working nearby. Several shops and homes are located close to the refuse site, and occupants say the foul smell emanating from the accumulated waste has become unbearable.
The situation is forcing some residents to keep their waste at home for days while others discharge them indiscriminately.
Speaking to Radio Mak News, a resident and welder, Mr. Abass, whose shop is located near the refuse container, said the container has not been emptied for about two months.
According to him, poor sanitation in the area has led to disagreements between some youth in the community and the Assembly Member. He alleged that the community has been experiencing heightened sanitary challenges since 2025 and that repeated appeals to the Assembly to empty the container have always yielded little results.
He stated that residents are often told that authorities will attend to the problem, but no action follows. Community members are sometimes forced to organize themselves and transport portions of the refuse away to reduce the burden, he added.
The welder further claimed that the Municipal Chief Executive, the Member of Parliament, the Regional Minister, and representatives of the Environmental Protection Authority are all aware of the situation. According to him, despite several attempts made to draw the attention of these leaders to their plight and engagements with the Assembly Member, the situation remains unresolved.
To help improve sanitation in the area, residents engaged a woman to collect fees from people who dump waste in the container to support the cost of emptying it. This, Mr. Abass noted, has not also helped much as there is disagreement between the Assembly Member and residents of the community over the management of the container.
The residents are therefore calling on the WMA to urgently intervene and improve sanitation conditions in Sokpayiri to prevent outbreak of diseases.
Meanwhile, the Assembly Member for the Sokpayiri Electoral Area, Hon Nuurideen, has indicated that he is working tirelessly to secure a new refuse container for the community. While acknowledging the dispute among residents concerning the management of the container, Hon Nurideen said it is not the reason for the delays in clearing the waste.
He expressed concern that the bad nature of the refuse container does not support proper waste collection and management in the area, the reason he is trying to get it replaced.
Residents are hoping that authorities will act swiftly to address the growing sanitation challenge before it develops into a major public health concern.
