The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has warned that it will strictly enforce its sanitation by‑laws against persons who flout directives during the National Sanitation Day (NSD) exercise.
Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, addressing traders in the Central Business District during the August edition of the exercise, urged residents and business operators to embrace sanitation as a permanent way of life. He stressed that the initiative must go beyond a monthly clean‑up and become part of the daily routine of citizens.
“Just as eating is considered essential, traders and residents should also make it a habit to clean their surroundings every morning before beginning their activities,” the Mayor said.
He commended traders who closed their shops and participated in the exercise, noting that the high level of compliance contributed to the successful clean‑up of the CBD. While the Assembly preferred voluntary cooperation, he cautioned that offenders who repeatedly ignored sanitation directives would be arrested and prosecuted, with fines or arraignment before the Sanitation Court as possible penalties.
The Mayor expressed concern about food vendors operating around drains and unhygienic locations without participating in clean‑up exercises, warning that food prepared in filthy environments could expose consumers to diseases. He therefore called on vendors to take sanitation seriously, stressing their responsibility to protect public health.
He announced that refuse generated during the exercise would be evacuated free of charge and urged residents to send waste to designated collection points. He also appealed to corporate institutions to support the Assembly with logistics and resources to sustain sanitation operations across the metropolis.
Mayor Allotey expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for initiating the NSD, and thanked corporate organisations, traders, residents and sanitation personnel for their support. He called on all Ghanaians to play their part in keeping Accra clean, healthy and orderly.
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