The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court has fined 21 traders at the Agbogbloshie Market GH¢600 each (equivalent to 50 penalty units) for violating sanitation and public order regulations.
The offences included selling at unauthorised locations, obstructing walkways, and blocking access roads with tricycles, commonly known as “Pragya.”
Those convicted include John Koko, Adu Ibrahim, Donald Koku, Anthony Ngambe, Baadal Aku, Christiana Okai, Peter Yayir, Dalodo Elivah, Ofori Amos, Bilidone Jacob, Jacob Basah, and Emmanuel Naja, who were found guilty of selling in unauthorised places and blocking public pathways.
Others, Simon Bilah, Daniel Okai, Joe Boakye, and Noah Nassim, were charged with obstructing public roads with their tricycles.
According to the Head of Public Affairs at the AMA, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, the traders were arrested by Public Health Officers during a routine inspection exercise at the market as part of ongoing enforcement of the city’s sanitation bye-laws.
“The fines are meant to serve as a deterrent to others who disregard sanitation and public order regulations,” he said, adding that the Assembly is committed to restoring discipline, cleanliness, and safety within Accra.
He noted that the operation followed the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day initiative, which promotes shared responsibility among residents, traders, and business operators to maintain a clean city.
Mr. Ankrah cautioned traders and residents to keep their surroundings clean and desist from selling on open drains, walkways, or unauthorised areas, warning that offenders would face prosecution without exception.
The Head of Public Health at the AMA, Florence Kuukyi, explained that since this was the offenders’ first appearance, the court opted for a fine instead of imprisonment.
“All 21 offenders paid their fines before the close of work at 4:30 p.m. on the same day, as none was willing to serve the three-month jail term at Nsawam prisons,” she said, adding that each trader also signed a bond pledging not to sell along roadsides or on public paths.
Madam Kuukyi further revealed that the enforcement forms part of a three-phase sanitation and decongestion exercise being undertaken by the AMA to restore order in major markets.
The first phase focuses on removing traders from drains and roadsides to ease pedestrian and vehicular movement.
The second will address traders displaying goods on the ground within the market, while the third phase will target food vendors cooking in the market to prevent potential fire hazards.
“Our goal is to transform the Agbogbloshie Market before extending the exercise to other areas, ensuring a clean, safe, and accessible environment for both traders and customers,”
Madam Kuukyi added.
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