The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court has convicted three people for sanitation offences in the latest round of prosecutions by the assembly, as authorities press ahead with enforcement action targeting open defecation and illegal refuse disposal across the capital.
Jonathan Doku and Alhassan Seidu were each handed a fine of 60 penalty units, or two months in prison in default, after being found guilty of open defecation. A third convict, Joshua Adjei, was fined 50 penalty units following his conviction for dumping refuse at an unauthorised location.
Gilbert Nii Ankrah, Head of Public Affairs at the AMA (Accra Metropolitan Assembly), said the convictions were part of an intensified enforcement campaign targeting insanitary behaviour within the metropolis. He warned that Environmental Health Officers, led by Florence Kuukyi, would continue prosecuting offenders to serve as a deterrent.
“Offenders will be arrested and prosecuted without compromise,” Ankrah told the media on Friday.
He urged residents to use approved toilet facilities and dispose of waste only at designated collection points, stressing that restoring sanitation standards in Accra required the active participation of all residents.
The assembly said open defecation remained a serious public health concern, linking the practice to disease spread, environmental pollution, and the degradation of public spaces. Authorities say persistent insanitary practices continue to pose serious public health risks despite ongoing awareness campaigns.
The latest convictions follow a series of earlier prosecutions this year. In February, the AMA Sanitation Court remanded seven individuals into prison custody after they failed to pay fines imposed for open defecation, with arrests made during night-time operations across Bubuashie, Jamestown, and Chorkor.
The assembly says enforcement operations, including 24-hour monitoring by Environmental Health Officers, will continue across the metropolis as part of broader efforts to improve environmental cleanliness and protect public health.
