Accra: Mr. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, has issued a stern final warning to traders who violate the monthly national clean-up exercise by keeping their shops open. Offenders face the risk of having their goods confiscated if they do not comply.
According to Ghana News Agency, from the next clean-up exercise onwards, any shop found operating before the official closing time of 1100 hours will have its goods seized and transported to the assembly premises. Shop owners will then need to follow due administrative procedures to reclaim their goods. Mr. Atanga emphasized, 'This is the last time we are issuing this warning. The next time we come for a clean-up exercise and your shop is open before the exercise is over, we will simply collect your goods and lock them up at the Municipal Assembly for you to explain why.'
The warning was issued after Mr. Atanga participated in the monthly national clean-up exercise in Bolgatanga over the weekend. This exercise is part of the National Youth Month activities and involved personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, the National Youth Authority (NYA), assembly members, youth groups, and students from the Bolgatanga Technical Institute Cadet Corps.
The Minister highlighted that the monthly exercise is in accordance with a directive by President John Dramani Mahama, which mandates every first Saturday of the month to be observed as a national sanitation day, requiring full participation from all residents. He noted that, apart from essential service providers such as pharmacies, all businesses are expected to remain closed until the exercise concludes.
Mr. Atanga reported that authorities had already closed some shops found operating during the recent Saturday exercise and warned that future violations would incur stricter sanctions. He urged residents to adopt environmental sanitation as a daily practice beyond the designated monthly exercise.
The Minister reiterated the importance of a clean environment, saying, 'Cleanliness is next to godliness. A clean environment promotes good health, reduces disease, and saves families the cost of medical treatment.' He also cautioned against the indiscriminate dumping of refuse and emphasized that both Ghanaians and foreign nationals in the region must adhere to Ghana's sanitation laws.
He assured that the Regional Coordinating Council, together with the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies and security agencies, would conduct unannounced sanitation inspections and clean-up exercises to ensure ongoing environmental cleanliness.
Mr. Francis Takyi-Koranteng, Upper East Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, stated that the clean-up exercise marked the commencement of National Youth Month activities in the region. The month-long program will include engagements with religious leaders, participation in the National Youth Conference in Kumasi, a Youth Parliament session, and an anti-substance abuse campaign titled 'Red Me Stop.'
He encouraged young people to adopt proper waste disposal habits at home, in schools, and in public spaces to prevent clogged drains and flooding.