Local Government Minister blasts Sekondi‑Takoradi over filth, plastic waste surge

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has issued a sharp directive to the Mayor of Sekondi‑Takoradi, Frederick Festinous Faidoo, demanding urgent and decisive action to address the deteriorating sanitation situation in the metropolis.

Speaking at this year’s World Environment Day commemoration in Takoradi, the Minister expressed deep disappointment over the level of filth engulfing parts of the city—particularly the alarming rise in plastic waste, which he described as a growing environmental menace.

He attributed the sanitation crisis to weak management and called on the Metropolitan Assembly to step up enforcement and restore basic cleanliness and environmental discipline.

Warning of dire consequences if the situation persists, Ahmed Ibrahim stressed that the unchecked plastic pollution threatens not only the city’s image but also its coastal ecosystem.

“I wasn’t happy when I came here. The plastics issue is a problem. Why should we get more plastic than fish in our sea? The plastics you see around will find their way into the sea. I don’t want to conclude that Sekondi‑Takoradi is the dirtiest metropolis. The mayor of Sekondi‑Takoradi must be held responsible for the dirt,” he said.

The Minister’s remarks have intensified pressure on the Metropolitan Assembly to act swiftly as concerns grow over the city’s sanitation decline.

— Citi Newsroom