The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it has prosecuted 27 persons for failing to participate in previous National Sanitation Day clean-up exercises as it steps up enforcement of sanitation regulations across the metropolis.
The Assembly, in a press release issued on Friday, November 6, 2026, urged residents, traders, shop owners, transport operators, market women and corporate institutions to participate in the November edition of the National Sanitation Day exercise scheduled for Saturday, November 7.
The exercise will take place from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon across the Accra Metropolis.
According to the AMA, the prosecution of the 27 offenders forms part of efforts to enforce sanitation regulations, promote responsible environmental practices and ensure greater public participation in maintaining a clean environment.
It said the exercise was not intended to generate revenue through fines and penalties but to encourage a change in public attitudes towards environmental cleanliness.
“The objective of the NSD exercise is not to generate revenue through fines and penalties but to promote behavioural change, strengthen public participation and instil a culture of cleanliness among residents,” the statement said.
The Assembly consequently cautioned individuals and businesses against operating during the stipulated period or obstructing sanitation activities, warning that offenders would face appropriate legal sanctions.
The November exercise will focus on sweeping streets and public spaces, desilting choked drains, clearing weeds, removing accumulated refuse and cleaning markets, lorry parks, commercial centres and residential communities.
The activities, the AMA said, are in line with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (Communal Labour) By-Laws, 2017.
To ensure compliance, the Assembly said it would deploy Environmental Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Task Force and other enforcement personnel to monitor activities across the metropolis.
Residents have also been encouraged to clean their immediate surroundings, remove weeds, clear drains in front of their premises and properly gather waste for collection and evacuation.
The Assembly further appealed to traditional authorities, religious leaders, market associations, transport unions, youth groups and corporate institutions to mobilise their members and support the exercise.
It reiterated that maintaining environmental cleanliness was a collective responsibility that should not be left to sanitation workers and local authorities alone.
The AMA urged residents and business operators to take the November exercise seriously and participate actively to avoid legal sanctions.
