Mahama charges AMA, other Assemblies to intensify sanitation enforcement

President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly and other local authorities to intensify enforcement to prevent renewed dumping at the reclaimed Agbogbloshie site.

He said the success of the ongoing waste evacuation exercise would not be measured only by the removal of accumulated refuse but also by the ability of local authorities to keep the area clean and prevent it from becoming a dumping ground again.

President Mahama gave the directive on Friday, September 18, 2026, when he joined the commencement of the National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise at Agbogbloshie.

He urged the assemblies to work with traditional authorities, community leaders and security agencies to protect the reclaimed land and ensure sanitation regulations are consistently enforced.

According to him, enforcement must be firm, fair and sustained, with the necessary measures put in place while the evacuation exercise is still ongoing.

President Mahama said the Agbogbloshie exercise formed part of a broader government effort to restore order, improve public health and reclaim degraded urban spaces for productive use.

He disclosed that the cleared site would be used for the proposed Agbogbloshie Urban Renewal Project, including plans to develop portions of the reclaimed land into an industrial area to support economic activity and create jobs.

He said government had mobilised heavy equipment, trucks and personnel for the exercise, but stressed that maintaining the gains would require stronger enforcement at the local level.

The President also announced that equipment from the District Roads Improvement Project (DRIP), deployed for the Agbogbloshie operation, would later be sent to other districts and municipalities to support similar waste evacuation exercises.

As part of the broader waste management programme, government also plans to provide household waste bins, additional transfer stations, engineered landfill facilities and expanded recycling infrastructure.

President Mahama urged residents, traders, businesses and transport operators to take responsibility for proper waste disposal and help keep drains, rivers, lagoons, markets, roadsides and other public spaces clean.

He stressed that Ghana could not continue spending public funds to repeatedly clear the same waste dumps, saying lasting improvements in sanitation would require sustained enforcement and responsible behaviour from citizens.