Former Kumasi Mayor, Hon. Samuel Pyne, says Ghana’s National Sanitation Day initiative has produced mixed results since its introduction in 2014 due to low public participation and weak enforcement of sanitation laws. Speaking on Focus FM’s Teknokrat Show, Hon. Pyne noted that although the exercise was introduced to curb environmental waste and reduce sanitation-related diseases, the country continues to struggle with poor waste management, especially in urban and rural areas.
“We still have a nagging situation with sanitation in the country,” he said, adding that many communities have become overwhelmed with uncontrolled refuse dumps. Hon. Pyne expressed concern that residents and shop owners often refuse to participate in cleanup exercises, even when shops are closed to allow for communal work.
“People will close their shops but sit in front and do nothing. After the exercise, they reopen and start throwing trash around again,” he lamented.
He suggested that stronger sanctions must be enforced to deter offenders, emphasizing that non-compliance is punishable by law.
“That is why it is important to enforce the sanctions. When people see others punished, it becomes a deterrent,” he said.
On proposals to run cleanup exercises weekly instead of monthly, the former mayor explained that cost constraints make weekly activities impractical. “The least you can spend for such an exercise is about 50,000 Ghana cedis.
It is very expensive,” he noted. Hon. Pyne highlighted sustainable initiatives such as the waste-separation containers and the “Turning Waste Into Wealth” project he introduced during his tenure, aimed at promoting recycling and composting. He, however, stated that he cannot speak to how these projects are being managed currently.
In his closing remarks, he urged both city authorities and the public to take shared responsibility for improving sanitation. “It is a shared responsibility.
We need to obey the bylaws, show patriotism, and die a little for our country,” he said.