By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is stepping up enforcement measures following the government’s relaunch of the National Sanitation Day (NSD), with Mayor Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey announcing the deployment of Rapid Response Teams to tackle sanitation offences across the capital.
The teams, according to the Mayor, will form a critical part of Accra’s 24-Hour Clean Accra Initiative, operating alongside existing sanitation task forces to ensure that public spaces, ceremonial streets, and transport terminals remain clean throughout the day.
“The Rapid Response Teams will not just clean but enforce compliance,” Hon. Allotey explained. “We are determined to stop the cycle where people dump waste indiscriminately right after major clean-up exercises. This time, enforcement will be continuous and immediate.”
The announcement follows directives by the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim (MP), requiring all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) nationwide to clear visible filth by 8:00 a.m. each day starting September 4, 2025. The National Sanitation Day will also be observed on the first Saturday of every month as part of the government’s renewed “Clean Up Ghana Agenda.”
The Mayor emphasized that enforcement will be coupled with strong community participation, urging residents, traders, and transport operators to take ownership of their surroundings. “We cannot do this without the people. Accra’s cleanliness will depend on discipline, civic responsibility, and respect for the red-line policy,” he said.
The AMA has already intensified decongestion drives, drain desilting, and waste collection ahead of the directive. With the relaunch of NSD giving the Assembly national backing, city officials believe Accra can set the pace for sustainable sanitation management across Ghana.
