Traders urged to adopt daily cleaning habits to sustain capital's sanitation standards

Traders in Accra's Central Business District (CBD) have been urged to make environmental cleanliness an integral part of their daily routines by routinely sweeping their immediate surroundings throughout working hours.

The Mayor of Accra, Mr Michael Kpakpo Allotey, made the call on Saturday, when he joined the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Mahama Ayariga, on a joint monitoring tour to assess compliance during the monthly National Sanitation Day (NSD) exercise.

The inspection, which commenced at the Kinbu Traffic Light and continued through Tudu and other principal streets, allowed the leadership to observe cleanup activities and engage commercial operators on long-term waste management strategies.

Mr Allotey observed that while the monthly National Sanitation Day remains a vital national intervention, the high volume of human and commercial activity in the CBD requires continuous vigilance.

He explained that clearing litter from trading stalls every hour prevents waste accumulation, protects public health, and safeguards traders from spending their hard-earned income on treating preventable sanitation-related illnesses.

Commending the business community for their high level of cooperation during the exercise, the mayor urged them to replicate the same standard of tidiness on ordinary business days.

On his part, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Mahama Ayariga, emphasised that personal responsibility remains the bedrock of sustainable environmental health.

In a practical demonstration of civic duty, the Minister took a broom from a trader to sweep sections of the street and assisted in picking up stray litter along the Tudu corridor.

Mr Ayariga noted that keeping surroundings clean must transcend scheduled civic events to become a subconscious daily habit.

He disclosed that his Ministry is currently formulating a comprehensive national sanitation strategy aimed at overcoming systemic challenges in waste management, particularly regarding the distribution of public waste bins and improving access to densely populated urban communities.