The exercise was part of the Assembly's efforts at improving on the sanitation situation within the Station and the surrounding markets to ensure quality air in the vicinity.

It was also aimed at paving the way for a disinfection exercise scheduled for Monday, March 25, to curtail the spread of the COVID-19.

Organised in collaboration with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) within the Ministries, the exercise was attended by officials of the Assembly, led by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Samuel Nii Adjei Tawiah, officials from the GNFS, station masters, drivers and their mates and market women, among others.

It saw participants desilt choked drains, sweep and collect waste as well as flashing of the drains.

 Briefing the media after the exercise, Mr Tawiah said even though the Assembly was inaugurated not too long ago, it had put in place modalities to improve on the sanitation situation in the Municipality, particularly the Tema Station area.

He said the lack of proper planning for the construction of the market within the hitherto lorry terminal had impacted negatively on the sanitation situation there.

In an effort to bring order and improve on the situation, the MCE said plans were underway to give the market a facelift.

"This was a transport station but the market has grown around it, over the years, which has worsened the sanitation situation in and around the lorry station. People have built their shops on top of the drains making it difficult to have access to these drains for regular clean-up to be carried out," Mr Tawiah said.

"The plan we are putting together now is to give the market around the transport yard a facelift and one of the ways to do that ... is to pull the whole structure down and rebuild this market. This we have discussed with the planning committee of the Assembly, its members and management and so we intend to do that in the near future, to rebuild this whole place."

He attributed the poor sanitation to irregular collection of the waste by waste management companies due to inadequate funds and, therefore, urged the station masters to effectively ensure proper utilisation of funds accrued from taxes and fines collected from traders at the market to improve the situation.

Mr Tawiah urged residents and visitors to the Municipality to make sanitation their priority to improve on their health, particularly at a time the world was grappling with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Madam Naomi Ofori-Adubea, the District Fire Commander of the Ministries Fire Station, said traders and managements of the various markets must work towards improving sanitation around them.

She said this would curtail the rampant outbreak of market fires witnessed in the country in recent times.

She said the Service had, over the years, embarked on numerous humanitarian activities, particularly at the Tema Station, geared towards reducing fire outbreaks.

The Tema Station market is among several markets within the Municipality and the Greater Accra Region in general to be closed down for fumigation exercise on Monday.