By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
Every first Saturday of the month has been set aside as National Sanitation Day across Ghana, an initiative designed to promote environmental hygiene, civic discipline, and community participation.
In Accra, this month’s exercise took a more rigorous turn as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) enforced a new directive requiring all shops, stalls, and business outlets to close temporarily during the clean-up to allow full participation by traders, residents, and market associations.
The move, according to city authorities, forms part of efforts to strengthen community involvement and restore discipline in waste management across the capital.
Led by the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, together with the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, and the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the inspection team toured major commercial areas, including Tudu Market, Kantamanto, Agbogbloshie, Abbossey Okai, and the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.
At each location, the officials monitored compliance with the AMA’s closure directive and encouraged traders to take ownership of their environment.
Many market women, shop owners, and residents turned out with brooms, shovels, and rakes to sweep drains, clear refuse, and desilt gutters. AMA sanitation officers distributed tools and supervised the process, while youth volunteers and security personnel provided support.
Those who defied the order
Those who defied the order and continued trading during the exercise were cautioned and face possible fines as stipulated in the city’s sanitation by-laws. The Mayor of Accra halted ongoing construction work during the National Sanitation Day Clean-Up Exercise, warning that shops that fail to comply with the closure and participation directive would be arraigned before the AMA Sanitation Court.
Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey explained that the clean-up is not just about sweeping streets but about building a culture of responsibility and pride in the environment. He further declared that the entire month ahead will be observed as Sanitation Month, with daily clean-up activities across Accra.
He disclosed that the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), led by Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, had supported the AMA with additional sanitation logistics — including gloves, rakes, and brooms — to complement the Assembly’s existing resources and strengthen ongoing clean-up efforts across the metropolis.
“October has been declared a Clean-Up Month for Accra,” he announced, adding that “all residents, traders, shop owners, and stakeholders are expected to continue cleaning their environment until the end of the month. This is not a one-day event; it is a continuous campaign to make Accra clean, green, and healthy.”
He expressed appreciation to the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim; Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II; Sempe Mantse; High Priests of the Ga State; and a delegation from the GARCC for their support throughout the exercise.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse, commended the AMA’s directive and praised traders who complied. He urged residents to continue supporting the exercise, adding that keeping Accra clean should become part of the people’s daily habit, not an occasional event.
“Cleanliness is next to godliness,” he emphasized.
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, also applauded the new enforcement strategy and said the Ministry will provide logistical support to improve sanitation systems across the metropolis.
He revealed that plans are underway to procure additional compactors, strengthen night-sweeping services, and collaborate with MMDAs to secure land for the construction of 24-hour economic markets with integrated waste systems.
During the inspection, traders who took part in the exercise expressed satisfaction with the closure directive, describing it as necessary to maintain a clean business environment. They called for regular desilting of drains, more refuse containers, and better enforcement to ensure that all traders comply in future exercises.
The clean-up also drew participation from notable personalities, including Akosua Agyapong and the Bus Stop Boys, who joined residents in sweeping and encouraged the public to embrace cleanliness as a lifestyle
