The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has sanctioned six shop owners, four traders, and three drivers in the Central Business District for flouting directives during the National Sanitation Day (NSD) clean-up exercise.
The shop owners around Rawlings Park were fined for failing to clean drains in front of their premises and operating during the exercise, while the traders were penalised for selling during the clean-up period. The drivers were also fined for parking at unauthorised locations.
Despite heavy rainfall, the exercise was carried out as part of the Assembly’s efforts to improve sanitation, prevent flooding, and ensure the free flow of water through the city’s drainage systems.
Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, told the media that the Assembly remained determined to carry out the clean-up despite the rains, noting that staff and participants worked through the downpour to make the exercise successful. He said some shop owners failed to participate, prompting the AMA to enforce its sanitation regulations and issue spot fines.
Hon. Allotey stressed that sanitation was a continuous responsibility, not a one-day activity, and assured that the Assembly would continue cleaning areas not covered during the exercise. He added that many residents and traders were still adjusting to the reintroduced NSD initiative, which had not been observed for more than four years, underscoring the need for renewed public education, discipline, and participation.
The Mayor warned that flooding in Accra was largely caused by human activities such as dumping refuse into drains, building on waterways without permits, and obstructing drainage channels. He disclosed that he had supervised the demolition of unauthorised structures blocking waterways a day before the exercise and cautioned that offenders caught dumping refuse would face prosecution, fines, or imprisonment.
To strengthen enforcement, the AMA is introducing a whistleblower incentive programme under which persons who report offenders with credible information leading to arrest and prosecution will receive a GH¢200 reward.
Touching on road works, Hon. Allotey said reconstruction of the Rawlings Park road was being undertaken in two phases. Phase one at CMB has been completed, while phase two at Rawlings Park has been delayed due to persistent rains. He assured residents that materials had been delivered to the site and substantial completion was expected by next week once the weather improved.
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