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The Environmental Health Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced plans to establish a sanitation court to prosecute those who violate sanitation laws.
This comes after four fishmongers were arrested for continuously drying fresh herrings, popularly called “Keta School Boys,” on public pavements close to the Korle Lagoon.
Speaking in an interview with Citi News, the AMA’s Environmental Officer, Florence Kuukyi, emphasized that the court aims to impose stronger penalties, including potential jail terms, to deter future offenders.
“We have been arresting them, sometimes even destroying the food we seize, and taking them to court. However, the punitive measures or the amount of money they are charged in court is not enough of a deterrent. You send the person to court, and they pay a fine of GHC200, GHC250, or GHC350. They then come back and continue with the same behaviour.
We are hoping that the AMA will be able to get its own court, and by God’s grace, we will have a sanitation court in less than six months. When we bring you to court, you will not just pay a fine and go. You will likely pay a fine and serve at least one or two months in jail. When you come back, you will spread the good news of best practices in the system,” Kuukyi said.
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