The Mayor of Kumasi, Honourable Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi has advocated for a review of the monthly National Sanitation Day schedule, proposing that the exercise should be moved from the first Saturday to the first Friday of every month. He explained that the high level of participation witnessed during the latest clean up exercise demonstrated that working days create better opportunities for institutions and businesses to mobilise their employees.
The Kumasi Mayor indicated that the involvement of private companies, public institutions and organisations during the Friday exercise provided evidence that a weekday arrangement could improve the effectiveness of sanitation campaigns. According to him, workers are easier to engage when the exercise takes place during official working hours because managers can organise their teams to participate.
Honourable Boadi highlighted the participation of several institutions including Toyota, CFAO, SSNIT, First National Bank and the Forestry Commission as examples of organisations that actively contributed to the exercise. He noted that employees from these institutions joined the clean up activities, creating a level of involvement that supported the city’s sanitation objectives.
“Today has been the best sanitation day I have supervised as Mayor. The level of participation we have seen is very encouraging.”
Honourable Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi
The Kumasi Mayor explained that similar enthusiasm is rarely achieved during Saturday exercises because many employees spend weekends away from their workplaces. He therefore suggested that changing the schedule could help local authorities achieve greater public involvement and improve the impact of future sanitation activities.
Furthermore, Honourable Boadi indicated that the volume of work completed during the exercise exceeded what the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly’s sanitation teams could have achieved alone. He credited the contribution of workers from different organisations for helping to cover areas that would have required more resources and time.
The Mayor stressed that sanitation requires collective action from residents, institutions and businesses across the metropolis. He added that the success recorded during the exercise should encourage stakeholders to consider approaches that bring more people into sanitation efforts.
From his perspective, the presence of workers at their workplaces during the Friday exercise created a stronger platform for mobilisation and participation. He therefore urged authorities responsible for organising National Sanitation Day to assess the possibility of adopting a weekday schedule.
Honourable Boadi maintained that the experience from the exercise provided valuable lessons for improving sanitation management in Kumasi and across the country. He affirmed that increased participation remains essential to creating cleaner communities and sustaining environmental hygiene.
Sanitation Enforcement Intensifies As City Targets Cleaner Communities
The Mayor of Kumasi emphasised that sanitation enforcement measures will continue across the Kumasi Metropolis as the Assembly strengthens efforts to maintain cleaner surroundings. Honourable Boadi explained that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly’s Sama Samaa programme remains active and will ensure that individuals and businesses comply with sanitation regulations.
The Kumasi Mayor urged residents and shop owners to take greater responsibility for the cleanliness of their immediate environments. According to him, maintaining proper sanitation should be a shared duty, with every individual contributing to keeping public spaces free from waste.
Honourable Boadi cautioned that persons who disregard sanitation regulations will face legal action as part of efforts to improve environmental standards within the metropolis. He indicated that the Assembly will continue monitoring communities and supporting enforcement activities to ensure compliance with existing sanitation laws.
“Don’t toy with your environment. Don’t ensure unsanitary conditions around your house or your business area, because they will come and get you.”
Honourable Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi
The Mayor explained that enforcement alone cannot achieve the desired results without active cooperation from residents and businesses. He encouraged shop owners to provide waste bins within their premises and manage the waste generated from their daily activities.
Addressing concerns from some traders about the availability of waste bins, Honourable Boadi clarified that the Assembly cannot provide containers for every individual business across Kumasi. He therefore appealed to business owners to use the cleaning tools available to them and contribute towards maintaining tidy surroundings.
The Kumasi Mayor noted that the Assembly’s responsibility is to complement the efforts of residents and organisations through waste collection and sanitation monitoring. He added that collective participation would make it easier for authorities to manage waste and improve cleanliness across communities.
Moreover, Honourable Boadi advised residents to clean the frontage of their homes and businesses as part of maintaining a healthy environment. He explained that when each person takes care of their immediate surroundings, the combined effort will create a cleaner and more organised metropolis.
The Mayor further revealed that the Assembly will continue engaging communities to promote responsible sanitation practices. He stated that enforcement measures would work alongside public education to encourage lasting behavioural change among residents.
In addition, Honourable Boadi encouraged businesses and households to collaborate with the Assembly by properly disposing of waste and avoiding practices that create unhealthy conditions. He affirmed that sanitation improvement depends on cooperation between local authorities, residents and commercial operators.
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