Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) kɛɛ ebaawaje maŋbii tsɔsem kɛ tsuilɔi a-kpeemɔ yɛ maŋ mli fɛɛ dani Ghana toɔ tsɔɔmɔ nɔ ni kɔɔ styrofoam niyenii mli toolɔi ni akɛtsuɔ nii ekome pɛ a-tsoomɔ, kɛ otii akɛ mɛi baaye nɔ kɛ amɛ diɛŋtsɛ amɛ-suɔmɔ dani mla nɛɛ baabɔi tsuimɔ nii yɛ Aharabata 1, 2027.

Yɛ e-wiemɔ mli yɛ kpee ni ji kpaanyɔ nɔ ni ji Loud and Green X Spaces mli lɛ, EPA hiɛnyiɛlɔ ni kwɛɔ gbɔmɛi a-shihilɛ he, Hope Smith Lomotey, kɛɛ gbɛjianɔtoo nɛɛ kɛ afii pii e-kpe kɛ nitsumɔi a-tsuilɔi yɛ plastikii a-gbɛjianɔtoo mli fɛɛ ni amɛbaanɔ so amɛbaaya no hiɛ kɛ maŋbii a-leemɔ tsɔsem yɛ nyɔji ni tsɔɔ hiɛ kɛyaa be ni akɛbaato mla nɛɛ yɛ mli.

“Enaŋ mɔ ko nɔ walɛ tsɔ yɛ nakai gbɛ nɔ, shi ebaana mɛi a-nɔ walɛ, ejaakɛ wɔmiitsɔɔ gbɛ. Wɔmiitsɔɔ kɛjee polystyrene alo styrofoam ni akɛtsuɔ nii ekome pɛ kɛyaa nibii krokomɛi a-nɔ ni yeɔ hewalɛ kɛha tsɔɔmɔ,” Nuu Lomotey kɛɛ.

Ewo Ghanabii a-hewalɛ ni amɛkwɛ sɛɛ yɛ shika tsɔmɔ ni yɔɔ niyenii a-toolɔi ni yeɔ hewalɛ kɛha jeŋ-baŋ lɛ a-nɔ ni amɛsusu sika kɛ hewalɛnamɔ ni baaba yɛ sɛɛliɛɛ kɛha tsɔɔmɔ nɛɛ he.

“Ha wɔhiɛ akpa shikatsɔmɔ lɛ nɔ. Shikatsɔmɔ lɛ, jeee shika pɛ, sɛɛliɛɛ shikatsɔmɔ, hewalɛnamɔ shikatsɔmɔ, jeŋ-baŋ shikatsɔmɔ, kɛ fitefitei krokomɛi fɛɛ yɛ mli. Enɛ ji nɔ ni kɛ wɔ ba biɛ ni wɔkpe kpamɔ akɛ ehi akɛ wɔtsɔɔ kɛyaa niyenii a-toolɔi ni yeɔ hewalɛ kɛha jeŋ-baŋ nɔ,” e-kɛɛ.

Nuu Lomotey kɛɛ EPA ekpe kɛ nibii a-kɛba-maŋ-mli lɔi, nibii a-feelɔi, hoteli-tsyɛlɔi, niyenii a-hɔɔlɔi kɛ nitsumɔi krokomɛi ni ebaana amɛnɔ walɛ yɛ mla nɛɛ he.

“Wɔkɛ amɛ e-kpe pii ni kpee nɛɛ baana no yaa hiɛ kɛkpe nibii a-kɛba-maŋ-mli lɔi, ejaakɛ nyɛŋ nyɛkɛ adadaai ni akɛfeɔ styrofoam ba maŋ mli kɛji EPA ehãaa gbɛ. Wɔkɛ nibii a-kɛba-maŋ-mli lɔi fɛɛ e-kpe. Wɔle amɛ. Wɔkɛ nibii-feelɔi e-kpe. Wɔkɛ hoteli-tsyɛlɔi, niyenii hɔɔlɔi e-kpe, ni kpee nɛɛ baana no yaa hiɛ,” ekɛɛ.

Akɛ e-gbɛjianɔtoo ni wajɔɔ tsɔsem nɛɛ fa, gbɛjianɔtoo nɛɛ toɔ gbɛjianɔ akɛ ebaa kɛ e-wiemɔ baatsɔɔ jra-hɔɔlɔi kɛ mɛi ni héɔ nibii tɛɛ yɛ guɔyeli hei wuji a-mli yɛ maŋ lɛ mli fɛɛ.

“Sohaa ni baaba, otsi ni baaba mli, wɔmiiya jra mli. Wɔyɛ tsɔsem agbo ko yɛ Makola, ni wɔbaana float kɛtsɔ Ga gbɛ wuji a-nɔ… ni poku krokomɛi hu miifee amɛ-diɛŋtsɛ amɛ-tsɔsem,” ekɛtsɔɔ.

Yɛ e-wiemɔ mli lɛ, tsɔsem nɛɛ baatsɔɔ niyenii a-toolɔi ni yeɔ hewalɛ kɛha jeŋ-baŋ ni yɔɔ jra mli yaa yɛ be ni ewoɔ nitsumɔi a-hewalɛ ni amɛtsɔɔ dani be ni ato lɛ baashɛ.

“Momɔ lɛ, amɛ mli fɛɛ pii miifee alo amɛmiikɛtsu nii [nibii krokomɛi lɛ]. Mɛi komɛi ebɔi kɛtsumɔ nii… Nibii-feelɔi miitsɔɔ blɛoo. Ni wɔhiɛ yɛ nɔ akɛ kɛ Aharabata 1, 2027 shɛ lɛ, wɔbaatsɔ kɛyaa nibii krokomɛi nɛɛ a-nɔ kwraa,” ekɛɛ.

Yɛ e-wiemɔ ni kɔɔ jra ni wa yɛ niyenii toolɔi ni gbiɔ yɛ jeŋ mli lɛ he lɛ, Nuu Lomotey yɔse akɛ nibii ni yeɔ hewalɛ kɛha jeŋ-baŋ lɛ jra wa fe styrofoam yɛ amrɔ nɛɛ, shi ewo e-hiɛmɛi akɛ jra baagba kɛji feemɔ kɛ taoɔmɔ ba nɔ yɛ enɔ.

“Eji anɔkwale. Nɔ fɛɛ nɔ ni ji ba, nɔ fɛɛ nɔ ni yeɔ hewalɛ kɛha jeŋ-baŋ lɛ jra wa fioo ejaakɛ ehi fe yɛ jeŋ-baŋ kɛ maŋbii a-hewalɛnamɔ he… Kɛ tsoomɔ nɛɛ gbe naa, kɛji mɛi pii miikɛba maŋ mli, miifee ni amɛmiikɛtsu nii lɛ, taoɔmɔ baawa. Shi lene, jra lɛ baagba ni ebaagba kpe kɛba shi.”

Yɛ be mli ni emaɔ nɔ akɛ maŋbii tsɔsem ji EPA gbɛ ni amɛsumɔɔ lɛ, ekɛɛ gbɛjianɔtoo lɛ esa e-he ni ekɛ mla baatsu nii he ni e-hiaa yɛ be mli ni mla nɛɛ bɔi tsuimɔ nii.

“Wɔ-sɔlemɔ ji akɛ mɔ ko mɔ ko kaatɔ̃ mla nɛɛ nɔ,” ekɛɛ.

He warned that prohibited styrofoam products imported after January 1, 2027, would not be cleared at Ghana’s ports and would be confiscated by the authorities.

“Kɛji okɛ nɔ lɛ ba, nyɛŋ ojee kpo. Nyɛŋ ojee kpo… Abaamɔ yɛ kpo lɛ nɔ.”

Yɛ hewalɛ ni yɔɔ EPA dɛŋ kɛha mla tsuimɔ nii lɛ fɛɛ sɛɛ lɛ, Nuu Lomotey wo e-hiɛmɛi akɛ mɛi fɛɛ eyeɔ mla nɛɛ nɔ baafee ni toigbele gbelemɔ e-hiŋ hehiaa tsɔ.

“Mǐyɛ hemɔkɛyeli yɛ Ghanabii a-mli ejaakɛ jeee klɛŋklɛŋ be ni wɔtsoo nɔ ko ni. Mɛi héɔ amɛmoɔ. Ni mile akɛ wɔshɛŋ he ni wɔbaaya jra kɛ jra mli ni wɔbaamɔmɔ mɛi akɛ amɛmiikɛ styrofoam tsuɔ nii lolo. Mɔ fɛɛ mɔ baaye nɔ.”

Eyɔse akɛ Ghana efe jeŋ-baŋ tsakemɔi ni ye omanye dani, ni leaded fuel fiteemɔ kɛ plastiki packaging tsɔomɔ yɛ cement nitsumɔ he komɛi a-mli fata he, ni e-wo e-hiɛmɛi akɛ maŋ lɛ tsɔɔmɔ kɛjee styrofoam he baana omanye nakai nɔŋŋ.