Sanitation to determine MMDCEs' performance – Local Government Minister

The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ibrahim Ahmed, has declared that the performance of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) will be directly evaluated based on the level of cleanliness in their jurisdictions.

Addressing a press conference at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Auditorium on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, ahead of the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day (NSD) on September 6, 2025, the minister underscored the critical role of MMDCEs in the government’s “Clean Up Ghana Agenda.”

The NSD, set to be relaunched by President John Dramani Mahama at the Institute of Local Government Studies at Madina, Accra, aims to restore discipline, empower local governance, and foster citizen participation in sanitation efforts.

Ahmed Ibrahim emphasised that sanitation is now a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for MMDCEs.

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“Your performance as Chief Executive will be judged directly on your results in the cleanliness of your cities and towns,” he said.

He directed assemblies to clear all public spaces, ceremonial streets, and visible nuisances by 8:00 AM daily, starting September 4, 2025, and to sustain these efforts as a benchmark for performance over the next six months.

The minister highlighted the government’s commitment to supporting assemblies, noting that 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund has been released to enable effective sanitation management.

He urged MMDCEs to demonstrate leadership and creativity to ensure sustainable cleanliness, warning that the ministry will closely monitor compliance through a central dashboard and a sanitation hotline for citizen reports.

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Ahmed also called on Members of Parliament, the media, and citizens to support the initiative by mobilising communities, amplifying the message, and holding assemblies accountable.

He stressed that the NSD represents a renewed social contract between the government and citizens, aimed at transforming Ghana’s sanitation landscape through collective responsibility and accountability.

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