The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has observed the agency’s readiness of implementing environmental regulations and laws to safeguard the country’s environment.
He said, by so doing, his outfit would vigorously engage major stakeholders for collaboration to ensure that the environment is protected.
Speaking to Kofi Adoma Nwanwani on the Anopa Bofoↄ morning show on Monday, June 6, 2022, Dr Kokofu said the long-lasting challenges facing the environment are associated with the attitude of Ghanaian citizens as well as their unawareness of the existing environmental laws, and so they continue to abuse them.
According to Dr Kokofu, most of these activities have implications–either good or bad–on the state in many ways, therefore being conscious of the activities carried out to make the environment a serene and healthy place for living is key.
“The centre will hold; the centre has to behold because there are laws in the country but we deliberately flout them. If I say, we, am referring to we the citizens in the country.”
The Former Bantama Member of Parliament added that since the continuous indiscriminate disposal of refuse poses a threat to the nations’ development, the EPA saw the need to take it upon itself to embark on education and awareness creation among the populace on the environmental laws.
Dr Kokofu said the Agency would through the engagement reach out to the populace with a more comprehensive agenda to get people to understand the need to protect the environment through the existence of its laws.
The Executive Director indicated that though people would consciously flout the laws, the Agency would ensure that Act 490 of 1994 which was used to establish the EPA will be made effective.
He stressed further that persons who would defy the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (EIPR), LI 16/52/1999 of sections 1 and 2 would be made to face the law.
Henry Kwabena Kokofu then called on the media to help in intensifying the public education campaign on its mandate and sanctions associated with non-compliance with its directives.
Commenting on a video where some individuals were seen dumping waste while it was raining, he vowed to get the offenders arrested to serve as a deterrent to others who would be found guilty of the act.
He used the opportunity and warned opinion leaders to desist from the habit of pleading on behalf of persons who are found culpable.
