The Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has appealed to residents and the media to support efforts to transform Accra into Ghana’s cleanest city by the end of his tenure.

He said achieving the target would require sustained public cooperation, effective waste management and strict adherence to sanitation regulations, rather than relying solely on periodic clean-up exercises.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, November 5, the Mayor called on the media to intensify public education on the Assembly’s sanitation initiatives and help residents understand the need for measures being introduced to improve environmental cleanliness in the capital.

Mr Kpakpo Allotey stressed that the Assembly’s enforcement of sanitation laws was not intended to victimise individuals or businesses but to promote discipline and restore Accra’s image as a clean, organised and environmentally friendly city.

“I want to see Accra being the cleanest city and if we can do this, I will need the media to let the people know that we don’t hate anybody but we just want to see Accra like Dubai and even Kenya here,” he said.

He acknowledged that efforts to enforce sanitation regulations sometimes attract public criticism, with some people interpreting the measures as a lack of sympathy.

However, he maintained that residents had voted for change and expected improvements in the city’s infrastructure and sanitation, including the clearing of roadsides and choked drains.

“We can do it, just that sometimes when we try to do the right thing, they come at you and they feel like you don’t have sympathy but they voted for change and wanted to see our roads and gutters cleared and that is what we are working to achieve,” he added.

The Mayor’s ambition echoes an earlier pledge by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who in April 2017 promised to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

Despite several sanitation interventions introduced over the years, however, the capital continues to face persistent waste management challenges, including indiscriminate dumping, poor drainage maintenance and inadequate public sanitation practices.

Mr Kpakpo Allotey’s latest appeal therefore places renewed emphasis on the need for collective responsibility, effective enforcement and sustained investment in sanitation to achieve the long-standing ambition of a cleaner Accra.