Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), has expressed concern over the poor state of cleanliness at some major public spaces in Accra following events.
She warned that organisers would no longer be allowed to leave assemblies to bear the cost of cleaning up.
The Deputy Minister said this during an inspection visit as part of the Ministry’s declared one-week sanitation and clean-up exercise, aimed at assessing progress and achievements across assemblies.
The delegation from the Ministry inspected the one-week sanitation exercise undertaken by the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KoKMA), which covered areas around the Accra Sports Stadium, Independence Square, and the Beach Road enclave.
Madam Sowah expressed dissatisfaction with the observations made close to the independence square and the Sports Stadium, noting that a programme held the previous night had left large volumes of filth behind.
She acknowledged that KoKMA had generally performed well during the sanitation week but stressed that the situation observed pointed to a lack of collaboration between event organisers and the assemblies within which such programmes are held.
“One thing we have realised is that after organisers are done with their programmes, they take their money and leave the work for the assemblies to clean up. I believe this is coming to an end soon,” she added.
Madam Sowah announced that the Ministry would begin engaging key stakeholders, including the tourism sector, national security agencies, and other relevant bodies, to ensure strict post-event clean-up arrangements.
“After every programme, organisers must clean up or liaise with the relevant municipal or district assembly to pay the cost of cleaning. Assemblies will no longer use their limited resources to clean messes created by private events,” she stressed.
She disclosed that the Ministry would meet on Monday to develop clear modalities for engaging event organisers during the festive season to ensure effective collaboration and sustained cleanliness in the city.
The Deputy Minister noted that despite the challenges, assemblies across Greater Accra had made significant progress during the sanitation week, with visible improvements in many areas.
“Together with the Ministry and the MMDCEs, we are happy with the work done so far, but we are not ending it here. The monitoring would continue even after the official exercise,” she stressed.
She expressed disappointment at the low level of citizen participation, urging residents to take personal responsibility for environmental cleanliness.
She also advised MMDCEs to complement clean-up efforts with beautification initiatives, such as planting flowers and greenery, to discourage indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
“When people see beautification, they are less likely to dump waste indiscriminately,” she said.
Madam Sowah assured that the Ministry would continue working closely with Regional Coordinating Councils under the leadership of Regional Ministers nationwide, while also addressing street lighting challenges to ensure that Accra is not only clean, but well-lit and safe.
Mr. Emmanuel Baisie, the Coordinating Director of KoKMA, announced their intensified sanitation measures, including the demolition of illegal billboards, as part of efforts to restore cleanliness in the city following recent events.
He said the decision to extend the clean-up operation throughout the day, and the weekend was prompted by the level of filth observed around the Sports Stadium after a major event.
Mr. Biase said the organisers of the event failed to notify the Assembly ahead of time, leaving officials unaware of the concert. However, he said the Assembly would not shirk its responsibility to keep the city clean.
“The organisers did not inform us, but because we are responsible for cleaning the city, we will not sit down and allow the Republic to throw shades at us. We will clean up and then call the organisers on Monday and surcharge them,” he added.
He said KoKMA was recruiting additional volunteers to support the clean-up exercise, particularly as the city prepared to receive tourists and visitors during the Christmas festivities.
The Coordinating Director cautioned event organisers, stating that any individual or group that holds major events without consulting the Assembly would face sanctions should there be any mess caused.
GNA
