The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has arrested 21 traders for selling and displaying their goods on open drains at the Agbogbloshie Market in violation of city sanitation and public health by-laws.
This was during an enforcement operation carried out on Tuesday led by the Assembly’s Public Health Officers as part of a broader initiative to maintain cleanliness in the Agbogbloshie area.
This follows the recent National Sanitation Day exercise and the revival of the Clean Ghana Campaign Train, an ongoing effort to promote environmental hygiene and enforce sanitation laws across the city.
Before the crackdown, the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, had visited the market and announced a two-week intensive clean-up and desilting exercise to clear drains and restore order ahead of the renewed enforcement.
Speaking after the operation, the Metro Director of Public Health, Florence Kuukyi, emphasized the importance of Agbogbloshie Market, describing it as one of Accra’s largest and most vital food distribution centres.
She noted that nearly 80 percent of food vendors and handlers in the city depend on the market for their supplies.
However, she expressed concern over the growing disregard for sanitation laws among traders.
“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 Kuukyi stated.
She reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to enforcing its bye-laws, stressing that street trading and the use of open drains for commercial activity will not be tolerated.
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