Seven people have been sent to prison after a sanitation court sitting by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly found them guilty of open defecation in parts of the capital.
The convicts—Samuel Aryeequaye, Evans Derry, Kwesi Milla, Richard Quintin Coffie, Seidu Aminu, Awuaaba Michael, and Quarcoo Ernest—were each fined 50 penalty units, amounting to GH¢600. They were remanded into custody after failing to pay the fine. An eighth offender, Raphael Adjetey, avoided jail by paying the fine imposed by the court.
The arrests followed a night operation carried out by Environmental Health Officers under the supervision of the head of the Environmental Health Department, Florence Kuukyi. The exercise targeted known sanitation hotspots in Bubuashie, Jamestown, and Chorkor.
Speaking after the court proceedings, the AMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, said the Assembly has intensified enforcement of sanitation by-laws as part of efforts to improve public health and environmental cleanliness in Accra.
He disclosed that the Environmental Health Department has begun 24-hour monitoring operations, with officers working both day and night to curb unsanitary practices, reduce public nuisance, and prevent the spread of sanitation-related diseases.
According to the AMA, the renewed enforcement drive is meant to serve as a deterrent and encourage residents to make proper use of public and household toilet facilities, as the city pushes for cleaner and healthier living conditions.
Source: Africa Publicity
