The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ms Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, has announced the introduction of tougher sanitation and public safety measures across the capital, including 24-hour task forces, spot fines, and arrests. She warned that Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) would be primarily assessed on cleanliness and orderliness.
“Sanitation has become a decisive performance indicator for MMDAs. Districts that fail to sustain cleanliness will rank last in regional assessments,” the minister said. “The era of short-lived clean-up exercises has ended.”
Ms Ocloo made the announcement during a monitoring exercise on Wednesday in selected assemblies, in line with the Local Government Ministry’s directive on a week-long clean-up exercise. She revealed that the reintroduction of the National Sanitation Agency, backed by assembly-led enforcement task forces, aims to sustain gains and curb indiscriminate dumping, particularly at night.
Task forces, numbering between 100 and 200 personnel depending on the district’s size, have been deployed to operate in a 24-hour shift system, aligned with the government’s 24-hour economy policy. Ms Ocloo explained that midnight dumping of refuse had become a major challenge, making round-the-clock enforcement critical.
Strict enforcement will include spot fines, arrests, and towing of vehicles parked in unauthorised locations. Meetings have been held with regional and district police commanders, coordinating directors, and MMDCEs to ensure coordinated action.
“Pedestrians who fail to use footbridges and persons who dump refuse at unauthorised locations will be fined without exception,” she warned.
At Madina in the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality, the Minister raised alarm over persistent pedestrian knockdowns, largely due to the refusal of pedestrians to use footbridges. Municipal Chief Executive Mr Ibrahim Faila disclosed that about 60 deaths had been recorded at the Madina Zongo Junction over the past seven years due to pedestrian indiscipline. To address the situation, he announced the deployment of a 100-member joint task force with the police and the installation of reinforced mesh wiring to compel footbridge use.
Ms Ocloo described the development as a life-saving intervention, emphasizing that enforcement of footbridge use is non-negotiable, especially during the Christmas season when traffic volumes increase.
The Regional Minister also inspected the Glefe dumping site in Ablekuma West, expressing dissatisfaction with continued illegal dumping, including waste being discharged into a river. She described the situation as environmentally dangerous and unacceptable, directing police and assembly authorities to halt the activity immediately and submit a progress report within a week.
Rejecting claims that the lack of nearby dumping sites justified the practice, Ms Ocloo called for the establishment of a transfer station to serve the community. She added that the government is engaging private investors to establish recycling plants as a long-term solution to waste management challenges.
The Ablekuma West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr George Kpakpo Allotey, said measures were being taken to block entry points to the site, fence the area, evacuate accumulated waste, and eventually redevelop the location into a market or car park.
By Cecilia Yada Lagba
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