Community members clean up Agbogbloshie market
The Agbogbloshie Market, one of Ghana's busiest trading hubs, underwent a massive clean-up exercise recently.
The sanitation activity brought together market traders, local youth and sanitation workers to clear refuse and clear choked drains to safeguard livelihoods through a cleaner environment.
It saw the mobilisation of hundreds of community members who spent hours clearing filth from the main market lanes and nearby surroundings.
Clean-up
The exercise was led by the Korle Woko and Agbogbloshie Noyaa Manye, Naa Okaikar Adeagba I, under the Gbese Paramount Stool.
Noyaa Manye Adeagba I highlighted the critical role the Agbogbloshie Market played in feeding communities and sustaining families across Accra.
She explained that the market’s continued neglect threatened not only public health but also the incomes of many who depended on it.
“Agbogbloshie is the heartbeat of trade in this part of the country.
A dirty market means people will stop coming to buy, and when that happens, our families will suffer,” she said in an interview with the Daily Graphic, during the exercise.
Discipline
The queenmother used the occasion to call for discipline and responsibility in maintaining the cleanliness of the market.
She warned that persistent sanitation challenges would no longer be tolerated.
“This market is too important to allow filth to destroy it.
We will be monitoring closely, and anyone who disrespects this place with poor sanitation practices will face sanctions,” she said.
Naa Adeagba I also disclosed plans to set up a dedicated market sanitation team that would ensure regular cleaning and enforce waste disposal rules.
According to her, the market must reflect the dignity of the people it served.
“This place must attract people, not repel them. Cleanliness is a form of respect to our buyers and ourselves,” she said.
She assured the traders of continuous engagement and educational activities aimed at changing attitudes towards sanitation.
“This is just the beginning. We will return again and again until this market becomes a model for others," she stated.
