The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) is set to intensify sanitation enforcement nationwide through house-to-house inspections.
During the inspection, homes which fall short of basic cleanliness standards would face spot fines in line with existing local by-laws.
The move forms part of the government’s renewed drive to sustain the National Sanitation Day initiative and achieve the President’s vision of a cleaner Ghana.
Speaking during a monitoring exercise of National Sanitation Day activities, Mr. Michael Forson, Technical Advisor for Sanitation at the MLGCRA, said the political direction from the President had given the sanitation agenda fresh urgency.
He said Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, the sector minister had provided strong leadership since the start of the programme, mobilising national forces and setting a strong example for all stakeholders to follow.
“When the President made the political direction of the national sanitation, the Minister did not sit down, he took it personally, owned it, and made sure he mobilized all the forces at the national level,” he said.
He said as the Ministry began monitoring the exercise this year, comparisons were made with last year’s activities through the Christmas period and beyond.
While the assessment revealed some improvements, he said a few assemblies had shown lapses, which the Ministry had already identified and addressed by alerting the affected Mayors, Chief Executives and Environmental Health Officers to sustain the momentum.
Mr. Forson revealed that the Sector Minister would soon introduce a performance scorecard for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), with sanitation expected to be one of the key areas for assessment.
“Despite the lapses identified, voluntary groups have been joining the clean-up campaigns in large numbers, which is a positive shift that is already being replicated across several municipalities,” he added.
In Ablekuma North Municipality, community members were actively engaged in the exercise, and in Okaikwei North Municipality, where hawkers were seen cleaning overhead structures, expressing satisfaction that they felt better working in a clean environment.
Mr. Forson indicated that the various assemblies had the relevant materials needed to execute the national sanitation exercise effectively.
He added that very soon, the Sector Minister would distribute additional tools and sanitation materials to all MMDAs in the Greater Accra Region to further support the national exercise.
“We believe the strengthened monitoring, enforcement of spot fines, improved accountability through performance scoring, and rising community participation will sustain the sanitation drive and accelerate Ghana’s progress towards a cleaner, safer and healthier environment,” he stressed.
Equally at the Ablekuma West Municipality, officials from the Assembly mobilised members to embark on the national exercise, for a cleaner Ghana for all.
Ms Mabel Frimpong, Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly, said the Assembly, through its Environmental Health Unit and other departments, regularly sensitised the public using mobile vans and also taking advantage of community public address systems.
She said sanitation remained a shared responsibility, but many residents continued to shift the burden to the Assembly, a situation she said undermined progress.
Ms Frimpong said the Assembly had stepped up enforcement by issuing letters to institutions and residents outlining what was expected of them, particularly in relation to the “Operation Clean Your Frontage” policy.
She urged residents to play an active role in maintaining cleanliness in their communities by reporting individuals who dump refuse illegally.
Ms Frimpong encouraged the public to take photographs of offenders and report them to the Assembly for enforcement action.