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The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to strictly enforce sanitation bye-laws following the National General Cleaning exercise, warning that offenders must be punished regardless of political affiliation.
Speaking to journalists during a monitoring visit to the Nungua Station area on Friday (10 July), Ocloo said political interference had over the years undermined efforts by local authorities to enforce sanitation regulations, contributing to poor waste management and flooding.
She said the practice must end if the region is to maintain a cleaner environment and prevent future flood disasters.
“There are bye-laws everywhere. We have asked them to make sure they enforce the bye-laws. This time around, there will be no mercy for the culprit. When someone is found culpable, irrespective of whoever comes to beg, there should be no mercy,” she said.
The minister urged MMDAs to apply sanitation laws fairly and consistently, stressing that no individual should be shielded from prosecution because of political connections.
She also instructed assemblies to empower their sanitation taskforces to confiscate goods belonging to traders who violate sanitation directives during the exercise. According to her, confiscated items should be donated to orphanage homes.
Ocloo said sustained enforcement of sanitation regulations was essential to preserving the gains made through the nationwide clean-up campaign and reducing the risk of future flooding caused by indiscriminate waste disposal and choked drains.
The two-day National General Cleaning exercise began on Friday across seven flood-affected regions under the supervision of the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee.
The first phase involves personnel from the security services, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and waste management companies clearing drains, removing refuse and desilting waterways. Members of the public are expected to join the exercise on Saturday.
The initiative forms part of government efforts to improve sanitation and strengthen flood prevention measures following the June 29 floods, which affected several communities, particularly in the Greater Accra Region, leaving people dead, displacing residents and causing extensive damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.
