A coconut seller, Prince Nyame, has been fined GH¢360 by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court for dumping coconut husks into a public drain behind Accra Academy at Bubuashie.
Nyame was convicted on Tuesday, July 25, 2026, after he was found guilty of violating the AMA 2017 Sanitation By-laws. The court imposed a fine of 30 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢360, or a three-month prison term in default.
He was arrested by AMA officials, with support from security personnel, after he was allegedly caught disposing of a large quantity of coconut husks into a drain along the Accra Academy wall.
The Head of Public Affairs at the AMA, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, said Nyame initially pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the Sanitation Court and was granted bail under conditions set by the court.
However, at a subsequent sitting, he changed his plea to guilty, leading the court to convict him based on his own plea and impose the minimum sentence.
The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, described the indiscriminate disposal of coconut husks and other solid waste into drains as a major cause of blocked drainage systems, flooding and poor sanitation in the capital.
He noted that coconut sellers generate large quantities of waste daily and must ensure proper collection, storage and disposal through approved waste management providers.
The Mayor cautioned traders against using drains, pavements, road shoulders and other public spaces as dumping grounds, stressing that such actions constitute offences under the Assembly’s sanitation regulations.
He added that the AMA would intensify monitoring and enforcement operations across the metropolis to identify and prosecute persons who dispose of waste at unauthorised locations.
Mr Allotey urged coconut sellers and other food vendors to provide appropriate waste containers at their trading points and arrange for regular evacuation of waste generated from their businesses.
He also appealed to residents to report incidents of indiscriminate dumping to the Assembly to support efforts to maintain a clean and healthy Accra.
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