AMA Enforces Sanitation By-Law at Agbogbloshie

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has intensified enforcement of its sanitation regulations at Agbogbloshie after removing an unauthorised pigsty that obstructed operations during the ongoing National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise.

The removal underscores the Assembly’s efforts to ensure that sanitation operations proceed without obstruction while enforcing regulations governing animal rearing within the Accra metropolis.

The Assembly demolished the pigsty after its operators failed to comply with a final warning to remove the structure, which had been built without the requisite permit or approval from the Assembly.

The enforcement action followed an inspection of the waste evacuation exercise on Thursday by the Mayor of Accra, Mr Michael Kpakpo Allotey, and the Metropolitan Coordinating Director, Mr Douglas N.K. Annoful, alongside other Assembly officials.

The inspection was intended to assess the ongoing operations, which involve the movement of heavy-duty equipment and personnel to evacuate accumulated waste from Agbogbloshie and improve environmental cleanliness in the area.

According to the Mayor, the operators were allowed to remove the structure after being served a final warning notice. However, their failure to comply necessitated the demolition to enable the waste evacuation exercise to proceed without further obstruction.

He explained that the pigsty had been operating without the necessary authorisation, contrary to the Assembly’s by-laws regulating the keeping of animals within its jurisdiction.

The Mayor cited the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s Control of Animals By-law, 2017, which prohibits the keeping of swine, cattle, sheep, goats and other specified animals within the metropolis without a permit issued by the Assembly.

The by-law forms part of the Assembly’s regulatory framework for managing animal-rearing activities within the city. Compliance with such regulations enables the Assembly to exercise oversight over activities that may conflict with its sanitation and urban management responsibilities.

The National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise forms part of ongoing efforts to remove accumulated waste at Agbogbloshie and restore environmental cleanliness. The operation requires access for heavy-duty equipment and personnel, making the removal of physical obstructions important to its progress.

The AMA’s action also highlights the role of enforcement in addressing unauthorised structures that interfere with public sanitation operations. While the Assembly has responsibility for maintaining environmental cleanliness and enforcing its by-laws, residents and operators are expected to comply with applicable regulations and obtain the necessary permits before undertaking activities covered by them.

The Assembly’s enforcement action at Agbogbloshie demonstrates its readiness to act against unauthorised activities that obstruct public sanitation operations after the prescribed warning process has been followed.

As the waste evacuation exercise continues, compliance with sanitation regulations and cooperation with the relevant authorities remain important to efforts to maintain a cleaner and better-managed Accra.

Faustina Naa Ayele Johnson, ISD