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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has arrested 21 traders for selling and displaying goods on open drains at the Agbogbloshie Market, in violation of the city’s sanitation and public health by-laws.
The arrests were made on Tuesday during an enforcement exercise led by the Assembly’s Public Health Officers as part of efforts to sustain cleanliness in the Agbogbloshie enclave.
The operation follows the recent National Sanitation Day exercise and the revival of the Clean Ghana Campaign Train, an ongoing initiative to promote environmental hygiene and enforce sanitation regulations across Accra.
Prior to the enforcement, the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, had visited the market and announced a two-week intensive clean-up and desilting campaign to clear drains and restore order ahead of stricter enforcement actions.
Speaking after the operation, the Metro Director of Public Health, Florence Kuukyi, highlighted the strategic importance of the Agbogbloshie Market, describing it as one of the city’s largest food distribution hubs.
“Nearly 80 percent of food vendors and handlers in Accra rely on Agbogbloshie for their supplies,” she said.
Madam Kuukyi, however, expressed concern over the increasing disregard for sanitation and public order among traders.
“What we continue to observe is troubling. Many traders have abandoned their stalls, locked their shops, and taken to displaying goods along the streets. This practice causes traffic congestion, creates unsanitary conditions, and exposes food to contamination,” she lamented.
She reaffirmed the AMA’s determination to strictly enforce its by-laws, warning that street trading and the use of open drains for commercial purposes will no longer be tolerated.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem