By: Celestine Avi
President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to establish sanitation courts in chiefs’ palaces across the country as part of a renewed drive to improve environmental cleanliness and instill discipline in waste management.
Speaking at the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day at the Institute of Local Government Studies in Accra, President Mahama said chiefs must be empowered to sanction offenders in collaboration with district assemblies.
“I believe that in every community there is a chief. And so if in every community there is a chief, we can put a sanitation court in the palace of the chief. Working together with the district assembly, people who are persistent polluters will be brought to those sanitation courts and given the sanctions they deserve, so that we can have cleaner communities, cleaner cities, and cleaner towns,” he stated.
Chiefs at the Centre of Sanitation Enforcement
President Mahama underscored the role of traditional leaders in communal labor and environmental protection, arguing that their authority should be restored in matters of sanitation.
“Our chiefs were the leaders when it came to volunteerism and communal labor. Unfortunately, with independence and new constitutions, their authority has been eroded. I am in favor of restoring some of that authority back to chiefs, especially in respect of our environment and sanitation,” he stressed.
He urged the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs to engage with the ongoing constitutional review process to ensure that amendments reinstate some powers of traditional leaders in environmental governance.
Cleanliness as a Core Value
President Mahama emphasized that cleanliness must remain a core national value rooted in tradition and religion.
“Every society has values, and in all societies, one most important value is the value of cleanliness. Whether you are a Christian, Muslim, or belong to African traditional religion, all of them respect the slogan that cleanliness is next to godliness. You cannot be a godly person if you live in filth,” he declared.
He recalled how, in his childhood, communal sweeping at dawn was a standard practice in Ghanaian households. He warned that modernization must not erode such traditional values, citing Japan and Singapore as examples of modern societies that remain uncompromising about cleanliness.
Responsibility of District Assemblies
The President reminded Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) that their performance would be measured by sanitation outcomes.
“I told the Local Government Minister that one of your key performance indicators is the cleanliness of your district. When we come to assess and evaluate your performance, sanitation will be a key yardstick,” he said.
He noted that during his government, 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund was directed to the assemblies to ensure adequate resources for sanitation and environmental management.
Awards for Cleanest Districts and Volunteerism
Mr. Mahama revealed that a new award scheme for the cleanest districts will be introduced to encourage competition among assemblies, with both district assemblies and traditional leaders benefiting.
“It will not only be about deterring and punishing, it will also be about encouraging. From next year, we will choose the cleanest districts and they will receive very handsome awards,” he announced.
He praised youth groups such as the “Bastok Boys” for their volunteerism and urged more citizens to emulate their example in keeping communities clean.
Regulation for Sanitation Work at Night
Highlighting operational inefficiencies, Mr. Mahama proposed regulations to shift garbage collection and cesspit emptying to night hours to reduce congestion and health hazards during the day.
“It doesn’t make sense when in the morning we are rushing to work, and at the same time garbage trucks are competing with cars on the road. We must regulate so that they do that at night when the roads are freer,” he suggested.
Call for National Watchdog Spirit
Concluding his remarks, the NDC flagbearer urged Ghanaians to be vigilant in protecting wetlands, Ramsar sites, streams, and communal spaces from abuse and destruction.
“Sometimes there’s a stream passing through your community, somebody will shift sand and narrow it, and when floods come, it is your house that gets submerged. We must all be watchdogs of sanitation and the environment,” Mr. Mahama cautioned.
He assured Ghanaians that under his leadership, sanitation will be tied directly to decentralization and the 24-hour economy vision, with massive investment in local infrastructure, drains, and pavements.
