The Mayor of Accra has ordered the prosecution of 37 people and institutions Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the Mayor of Accra, has ordered the prosecution of 37 people and organizations that did not follow the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) Sanitation Day order. The people who broke the law were in several business areas, such as Tuesday Market, Korle-Bu, Abossey Okai, Kaneshie First Light, Avenor, and Agbogbloshie Market. They were charged with not closing their businesses and taking part in the citywide clean-up.
Offenders and Places
Joseph Angela Tagoe, Sandra Mills, Elisabeth Quaye, Stella Adams, Eric Amenu, Vida Borbi, Victoria Allotey, Barbra Mills, Margaret Boafo, and Monica Tubelo are all criminals that work in and around Tuesday Market and Korle-Bu, according to the AMA’s report.
Also included are Samir Engineering, Kingsley Arthur, Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, and the management of Vision Transport, Aruko, Kolaa, and VVIP Transport Services, which are all located at Abossey Okai, Kaneshie, Avenor, and Agbogbloshie Market.
Janet Nartey, Ernest Yeboah, Francis Salla, Grace, Lillian Collins, Hajia Barikisu, Edward, Forgive, Francisca Bediako, Monica Akua, Evelyn Addo, and Adjetey Laryea are all from Korle-Bu.
Disregard for Citywide Directive
Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey criticized the offenders for what he called “a blatant disregard for lawful authority,” saying that their actions hurt efforts to keep the capital clean and manage waste in a way that is good for the environment.
He said, “The Sanitation Day exercise isn’t just about cleaning or clearing drains.” “It’s about building a culture of civic pride and a sense of shared responsibility for our environment.” When a few people refuse to engage, they put the entire city’s health and attractiveness at risk.”
The Mayor reaffirmed that every company owner and resident must play their role in the common aim to make Accra clean, safe, and environmentally responsible.
Inspection and Enforcement
The Mayor personally accompanied a team of Public Health Officers, zonal task force members, and municipal inspectors around critical locations such as Agbogbloshie, Abossey Okai, Central Business District, and Kaneshie, assuring that the clean-up directive was being executed.
He urged officials to send statutory notices and court summonses to individuals found operating during the exercise, adding that the law will take its course.
The accused persons and institutions will be arraigned before the newly constituted AMA Sanitation and Motor Court under the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (Communal Labour) Bye-Laws, 2017, adopted according to Section 181 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).
Temporary Halt of Construction Activities
During the enforcement effort, Mayor Allotey also ordered a temporary stoppage of building activities at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, demanding that no activity should disrupt the ongoing clean-up operation.
He highlighted that cleanliness should be considered as a matter of public health and civic duty rather than an optional community activity. “Clean cities don’t just happen,” he remarked. “They are built through commitment, participation, and enforcement. That’s exactly what we are doing.”
Accra Declared ‘Sanitation Month’
In a fresh effort to sustain the initiative, the Mayor officially announced October as Sanitation Month for the city of Accra. Throughout the month, the AMA will perform daily clean-up exercises across marketplaces, transit terminals, lorry parks, and residential areas.
According to him, this prolonged campaign will also include huge public education, radio awareness initiatives, and community mobilization, targeted at changing attitudes towards waste disposal and civic hygiene.
Public Health Officers will be stationed in various zones to monitor progress and ensure continual enforcement of sanitary rules. “There will be no favoritism or selective enforcement,” the Mayor reiterated. “Everyone, from traders to transport operators, will be held accountable.”
Public Cooperation and Responsibility
Mayor Allotey thanked the majority of traders and citizens who actively engaged in the clean-up activity desilting drains, sweeping streets, and eliminating garbage heaps from public spaces. However, he voiced sadness at the handful who opted to defy the directive, saying their negligence threatened the city’s greater cleaning goals.
“Those who refuse to take part are undermining the health and future of Accra,” he warned. “It’s not enough to wait for government to clean the city. Every citizen must assume personal responsibility.”
He urged churches, schools, transport unions, and local associations to adopt regular sanitation initiatives into their routines, emphasizing that environmental cleanliness contributes directly to tourism, health, and commercial growth.
Swift Legal Action
A total of 37 individuals and corporate entities are to face prosecution for non-compliance and for maintaining insanitary conditions during the official Sanitation Day. The Mayor emphasized that his office would work closely with the Public Health Department and the Sanitation Court to guarantee that justice is delivered expeditiously.
“These prosecutions are not meant to intimidate anyone,” he stated. “They are meant to remind us all that laws exist to protect our environment and our health. Accra must not only seem good after a clean-up; it must stay clean every day.”
Looking Ahead
The Mayor underlined his commitment to making Accra into one of the cleanest cities in Africa, adding that the AMA’s long-term goal is to maintain a balance between urban expansion and environmental sustainability.
He called to residents to support the “Clean, Safe, and Resilient Accra” agenda by correctly managing garbage, attending monthly sanitation programs, and reporting unlawful dumping operations.
“The future of Accra depends on our actions today,” Mayor Allotey stated. “If we build a culture of discipline and responsibility, we will not just have a clean city we will have a city we can all be proud of.”