The ongoing decongestion exercise by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has resulted in a 14.4-tonne reduction in the volume of waste collected from the Central Business District (CBD).

According to the Head of Waste Management at the Assembly, Engineer Solomon Noi, before the exercise, the AMA deployed four tipper trucks that made a minimum of six trips daily to evacuate waste from the Central Business District; however, following the exercise, the Assembly was recording an average of four trips per day.

The Head of Waste Management made this known on Monday during the continuation of the First Ordinary Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Assembly of the AMA.

“After the exercise, we are recording an average of four trips a day. This represents a reduction of two loads of tipper trucks, which is estimated at 14.4 tonnes of waste,” he said.

He noted that the improvement in cleanliness and the traffic flow had contributed to better air quality within the CBD, adding that sustaining the operation was critical to maintaining a clean city environment.

Addressing the Assembly, the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, reiterated his commitment to the decongestion efforts, emphasising that sanitation standards would remain a measure of his performance and that the exercise would be continued.

“As I am speaking with you, I have my reflector with me, heading to the market to engage with the women and assure them of plans to boost the local economy,” the Mayor said.

He explained that President John Mahama had set a clear standard to assess the work of his appointees based on the sanitation in their jurisdictions, adding, “You can ask Mr Noi, Head of Waste Management; I called him to meet me at Circle on Sunday after church service. I am not getting tired of this work.”

The Mayor indicated that the exercise was not causing any financial distress to the Assembly, adding that the Assembly was collaborating with the police to enforce the laws going forward.

“Honourable, please, I don’t think we are causing financial distress to AMA. Although we have changed the face of the work. We are not going to quit this job today or tomorrow,” he declared.

The Mayor stressed the need for continued stakeholder engagement to secure public cooperation, stating, “Our information vans are still announcing the redline policy and decongestion exercise. You are dealing with people; you have to get them involved for better cooperation.”

He used the opportunity to urge all stakeholders to sustain their efforts, saying, “If we can’t fix Accra today, then there is no tomorrow.”

The decongestion exercise forms part of the Assembly’s broader “Reset Agenda” to improve sanitation, restore order, and enhance the quality of life in Ghana’s capital city.