Copyright ghanamma
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced plans to intensify enforcement and monitoring activities for the second edition of National Sanitation Day scheduled for Saturday, November 1, warning that failure to comply with the sanitation directive could result in fines or imprisonment. According to a statement signed by Head of Public Affairs Gilbert Nii Ankrah, residents who refuse to participate in the communal labour exercise face fines of up to 100 penalty units or imprisonment for between 30 days and six months, or both. Continuing offenders will incur additional daily penalties under the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Communal Labour Bye Laws 2017. The exercise forms part of government efforts to promote environmental cleanliness and ensure full public participation in the nationwide campaign to make Accra cleaner, safer, and healthier. All shops, markets, and business premises are required to remain closed from 6:00 a.m. until the exercise is completed to allow traders, residents, and market associations to participate fully. The operation will involve deploying 21 Public Health Officers, 200 members of the AMA Sanitation Taskforce, and 81 labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metropolitan areas. Heavy duty equipment including compactor trucks, backhoe loaders, excavators, tipper trucks, and a pay loader will support the exercise to facilitate desilting of drains, clearing of refuse, and transportation of waste. Cleansing activities will focus on desilting drains, brushing road kerbs, sweeping, and removing unauthorized banners from public spaces. The comprehensive approach reflects the Assembly’s determination to tackle sanitation challenges that have historically plagued the capital city. The November 1 exercise marks the second monthly observance since President John Dramani Mahama officially relaunched National Sanitation Day on September 6 at the Institute of Local Government Studies in Madina. The maiden exercise took place on October 4, with enforcement teams touring major commercial areas including Tudu Market, Kantamanto, Agbogbloshie, and Abbossey Okai to monitor compliance. Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey has been at the forefront of the renewed sanitation drive, describing the initiative as timely and crucial for the city’s ongoing Reset Accra agenda. The AMA has deployed Rapid Response Teams that operate continuously to ensure public spaces, ceremonial streets, and transport terminals remain clean throughout the day, not just during monthly exercises. “We are determined to stop the cycle where people dump waste indiscriminately right after major clean up exercises,” Mayor Allotey explained during the October launch. The Rapid Response Teams enforce compliance immediately rather than simply cleaning up after violations occur. The reintroduction of National Sanitation Day aligns with Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Ahmed Ibrahim’s directive requiring all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies nationwide to clear visible filth by 8:00 a.m. daily. Sanitation has become a Key Performance Indicator for all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives, signaling government’s seriousness about addressing Ghana’s environmental challenges. Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo has announced that the last Friday of every month will also be observed as Sanitation Day in the region, complementing the first Saturday national exercise. Her administration is implementing a comprehensive sanitation policy that encourages waste segregation and provision of garbage bags and bins in public places and homes. The October exercise saw rigorous enforcement of business closure directives, with inspection teams led by Mayor Allotey, Minister Ibrahim, and Ga Mantse King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II touring commercial areas to encourage traders to take ownership of their environment. October was declared Clean Up Month for Accra, emphasizing that sanitation is a continuous campaign rather than a one day event. The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, led by Regional Minister Ocloo, has supported the AMA with additional sanitation logistics including gloves, rakes, and brooms to complement existing resources. This collaborative approach demonstrates government’s commitment to providing assemblies with tools needed for effective sanitation management. The legal framework backing the exercise derives from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Communal Labour Bye Laws 2017, enacted pursuant to Section 181 of the Local Governance Act 2016. The law mandates observation of the first Saturday of every month as National Sanitation Day, giving the Assembly legal authority to enforce compliance through fines and other penalties. Critics have historically questioned whether monthly sanitation exercises produce lasting results or simply create temporary cleanliness that disappears within days. The AMA’s response through Rapid Response Teams and continuous enforcement represents an attempt to address these concerns by maintaining pressure between monthly exercises rather than allowing standards to lapse. The exercise seeks to rid Accra of filth, reduce flooding caused by clogged drains, tackle environmental health risks, and improve overall sanitation across the metropolis. Assembly members will lead clean up activities across their respective electoral areas to ensure coordinated operations and visible leadership at the community level. Social and behavioural change campaigns are being intensified to educate and reorient citizens on proper sanitation practices. The government recognizes that enforcement alone won’t solve sanitation challenges without corresponding shifts in public attitudes and behaviors around waste disposal and environmental responsibility. The AMA’s strengthened enforcement approach reflects lessons learned from previous attempts to institutionalize regular sanitation exercises. Past initiatives often lost momentum due to weak enforcement, inadequate resources, and public apathy. By deploying substantial personnel, providing necessary equipment, and threatening meaningful penalties, the Assembly signals determination to make this relaunch more sustainable. Traditional authorities, religious organizations, and other stakeholders are being engaged to deepen decentralization and ensure community buy in for sanitation initiatives. The involvement of the Ga Mantse and other traditional leaders in October’s exercise demonstrates the cultural and social dimensions of the sanitation campaign beyond mere government directive. For residents and business owners across the Accra metropolis, the message is clear: participation in Saturday’s sanitation exercise isn’t optional. The Assembly urges all residents, traders, transport operators, and businesses to actively take part, emphasizing that maintaining a clean city represents a shared responsibility that requires collective action. As November 1 approaches, the test will be whether the AMA can sustain enforcement momentum and whether residents embrace the initiative as genuine civic duty rather than burdensome obligation. The success of National Sanitation Day ultimately depends not just on Assembly actions but on citizens’ willingness to maintain cleanliness standards beyond monthly exercises. The goal, as the AMA emphasizes, is making Accra a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable city for everyone. Whether the combination of enforcement, resources, and public engagement proves sufficient to achieve that vision will become apparent as the monthly exercises continue throughout 2025 and beyond.
