The Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), Lawyer Frederick F. Faidoo, has voiced concerns over the level of participation of individuals in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis during Ghana’s National Sanitation Day clean-up exercise held on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
During the exercise, all shops and commercial vehicles were expected to remain closed until midday, while military personnel and city guards monitored compliance across the metropolis. The Mayor, accompanied by his team, toured various communities in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to assess the state of sanitation and the progress of the cleanup.
In an interview with the media, Lawyer Faidoo described the initiative as “laudable” but criticized the implementation. He noted that many residents wait until the sanitation day before addressing waste, and some commercial vehicles were still operating during the exercise despite directives to halt activities.
“If I should grade today’s exercise, I would not go beyond 60 percent,” he stated. “I’m not totally satisfied because I can see commercial cars still going about their normal work when they should have joined in the exercise. Next time around, we will come with a new strategy to involve everybody.”
Interestingly, prisoners were not left out of the exercise. Some inmates were released under supervision to join in the cleanup, contributing to desilting drains and clearing waste from public spaces.
The Mayor emphasized the urgent need for waste segregation as a long-term solution to the recurring sanitation challenges in Sekondi-Takoradi. He explained that choked drains, mainly filled with plastics and sand, worsen flooding risks and threaten public health.
“It is high time we started segregating our waste. Plastics should be separated from bottles and organic waste, which can be converted into energy if we attract the right investors,” he said. “We must provide proper disposal avenues for plastics and educate citizens to embrace segregation.”
Lawyer Faidoo also noted that while the assembly has undertaken desilting projects earlier this year, one-day cleanup exercises cannot fully address structural sanitation problems. He promised to meet with environmental and waste management directors to develop policies aimed at ensuring free-flowing drains and sustainable waste management in the metropolis.
Despite expressing dissatisfaction, the STMA Mayor assured residents that new strategies will be rolled out in future sanitation exercises to enforce compliance and strengthen citizen involvement.
