The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has arrested twenty-one traders for displaying and selling their goods on open drains at the Agbogbloshie Market, in what city officials described as a major violation of sanitation and public health regulations.
The operation, carried out by the Assembly’s Public Health Officers, forms part of an ongoing enforcement drive to sustain cleanliness in the market area. It follows the recent National Sanitation Day exercise and the relaunch of the Clean Ghana Campaign Train, a citywide initiative aimed at enforcing hygiene and environmental health standards.
Before the enforcement, the Chief Executive Officer Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, had visited the market and announced a two weeks cleanup and desilting exercise to restore hygiene and prepare the area for stricter enforcement.
Speaking after the arrests, the Metro Director of Public Health, Madam Florence Kuukyi, described Agbogbloshie Market as one of Accra’s most vital food supply hubs, serving as a sourcing point for 80 percent of food vendors and handlers across the city.
She expressed disappointment that some traders had abandoned their stalls and locked their shops only to display goods along the streets and on open drains a practice she said undermines the city’s efforts to maintain hygiene.
“What we continue to observe is worrying. People have abandoned their stalls and locked their shops, only to display goods along the streets. This behaviour causes traffic congestion, creates unsanitary conditions, and exposes food items to contamination”
Madam Florence Kuukyi, Metro Director of Public Health
Sanitation; A Shared Responsibility
She cautioned that the dust from moving vehicles carries microorganisms that can settle on exposed food, posing serious public health risks such as foodborne diseases.
She also lamented on the habit of some traders who dump refuse into drains, warning that such practices contribute to flooding when it rains.
“Sanitation is a shared responsibility. It cannot be achieved by one person or one institution alone,” she stressed.
Madam Kuukyi revealed that the Clean Ghana Campaign Train would continue across all sub metropolitan areas in Accra as an unannounced and continuous operation until total compliance is achieved.
“You will never know when the campaign train will arrive, so it’s best to always keep your surroundings clean and operate according to the rules”
Madam Florence Kuukyi, Metro Director of Public Health
According to her, traders have been adequately sensitized by the Assembly’s Information Services Department (ISD) over the past few weeks about the importance of keeping away from drains and streets.
She further disclosed that future enforcement would also target buyers who patronize roadside sellers.
“If there are no buyers on the streets, the sellers will have no choice but to return to their stalls,” she said, explaining that the measure would help restore order and protect public health.
Madam Kuukyi emphasized that the Assembly’s enforcement drive was not meant to punish anyone but to protect lives and maintain order. She reminded traders that selling along roads and drains exposes them to the risk of accidents and injuries.
She also announced that food items confiscated during the exercise would be donated to children’s homes within Accra, rather than returned to the offenders.
“We want to use this opportunity to remind traders and residents to support the Assembly’s efforts to make Accra a cleaner, safer, and healthier city for everyone”
Madam Florence Kuukyi, Metro Director of Public Health
Some traders at the market expressed mixed reactions to the operation. A palm nut seller, recounting her experience, said she once accidentally stepped on a tuber of yam, which led to a confrontation.
She praised the ongoing enforcement exercise and urged the AMA to continue regular checks to prevent traders from returning to the drains and streets.
She also commended the officers for overseeing the operation with fairness and professionalism, saying their regular presence would improve orderliness at the market.
The AMA stressed that the latest arrests mark only the beginning of a renewed effort to enforce sanitation by laws and restore discipline at major trading canters across the capital.
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