Mahama directs assemblies to prevent renewed dumping at Agbogbloshie
Story by: Regina Bless
President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly and other local authorities to intensify sanitation enforcement and protect reclaimed lands from renewed indiscriminate dumping following the evacuation of waste at Agbogbloshie.
President Mahama said the success of the ongoing National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise would depend not only on removing the accumulated waste but also on preventing the area from returning to an uncontrolled dumping site.
He gave the directive when he officially commenced the National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise at Agbogbloshie on Friday, September 18, 2026.
The President called on the assemblies to work closely with traditional authorities, community leaders and security agencies to protect the reclaimed land and ensure strict compliance with sanitation regulations.
He stressed that enforcement must be firm, fair and sustained, urging the relevant authorities to put the necessary measures in place while the evacuation exercise was still underway.
According to President Mahama, the Agbogbloshie exercise forms part of a broader government effort to restore order, improve public health and reclaim degraded urban spaces for productive use.
He disclosed that the cleared site would support the proposed Agbogbloshie Urban Renewal Project, with plans to transform portions of the reclaimed land into an industrial area capable of supporting economic activity and creating employment opportunities.
The President said government had mobilised heavy equipment, trucks, personnel and other resources for the exercise, adding that the sanitation gains achieved must be protected through stronger enforcement at the local level.
He further announced that equipment mobilised under the District Roads Improvement Project (DRIP) for the Agbogbloshie operation would subsequently be deployed to other districts and municipalities to support similar waste evacuation exercises where necessary.
President Mahama also outlined plans under a broader national waste management programme, including the provision of household waste bins, additional transfer stations, engineered landfill facilities and expanded recycling infrastructure.
He urged residents, traders, businesses and transport operators to support the sanitation campaign by disposing of waste responsibly and helping to protect public spaces.
The President emphasised that drains, rivers, lagoons, markets, roadsides and open spaces must be kept clean to build healthier and more resilient communities.
He maintained that sustainable improvements in sanitation would require strong institutions, consistent enforcement and responsible behaviour from citizens.
Government, he added, could not continue spending public funds to repeatedly clear the same areas of accumulated refuse when stronger preventive measures could help keep reclaimed spaces clean.