By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has directed that all shops and markets within the metropolis remain closed on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 6 a.m. to allow for the maiden citywide clean-up exercise under the newly launched National Sanitation Day.
A statement signed by the Assembly’s Head of Public Affairs, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, explained that the directive follows the President’s launch of the initiative and is in line with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (Communal Labour) Bye-Laws, 2017, enacted pursuant to Section 181 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936). The law mandates that the first Saturday of every month be observed as National Sanitation Day.
According to the AMA, the exercise seeks to rid Accra of filth, reduce flooding, tackle environmental health risks, and improve sanitation across the city.
Assembly members will lead clean-up activities across their respective electoral areas to ensure a coordinated operation. Intensified desilting and refuse clearing will take place at major hotspots, including Agbogbloshie, Tuesday Market, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Kwasiadwaso, and Kaneshie Market.
The Assembly urged residents, traders, and stakeholders to strictly comply with the closure order and actively participate in the exercise. Public Health Officers will be deployed to monitor compliance and enforce the directive.
The AMA cautioned that failure to comply constitutes an offence punishable by a fine of up to one hundred penalty units or imprisonment of not less than thirty days and not more than six months, or both. Continuing offences will also attract additional daily penalties.
