The Environmental Health Director of Agona West Municipality, Mr. Mark Dzodzozie, has warned that the directorate will not hesitate to take drastic action and punish offenders who fail to participate in the national cleanup exercise, to deter others.
He gave this warning during last Saturday’s cleanup exercise at Agona Swedru, where the majority of the people, especially store owners, failed to participate in the exercise.
Mr. Dzodzozie emphasised that the exercise is a national policy, and therefore, it is a shared responsibility of all to participate in it.
Since the inception of the exercise, the Agona West Municipality has remained the cleanest Municipality in the Central Region, a position the Environmental Health Director has vowed to maintain.
The Nimfahen and Regent of the town, Nana Kweku Esieni V, who participated in the exercise, has ordered residents to prepare for the cleaning of the banks of the Akora river on Saturday, 13th September 2025, by 7:00 a.m.
His order follows the acute water shortage at Agona Swedru and its environs due to the Ghana Water Company Limited’s restricted water supply from its Agona Kwanyako plant.
This is due to the inability to purify the Ayensu River for bulk supply; illegal mining activities have contaminated the river. The Ayensu River takes its source from the Atiwa highlands in the Eastern Region’s Akim Abuakwa state.
As a result, Agona Swedru and its environs have been facing a severe water shortage for the past three weeks, relying on the Akora River as the only source of water.
The Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) mandates MMDAs to create and enforce sanitation bylaws.
Ghana’s sanitation laws are a mix of national policies like the Environmental Sanitation Policy (ESP) and local bye-laws enacted by Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) under the Local Governance Act. These regulations address waste management, public health, and hygiene, with specific rules varying by district, but generally include requirements for citizens to participate in clean-up exercises, for businesses to manage their waste, and prohibitions against creating nuisances. The overall goal is to ensure uniform and sustainable sanitation across the country.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
