In a sweeping address that blended nostalgia, pragmatism, and constitutional ambition, President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a transformative plan to embed sanitation courts within the palaces of Ghana’s traditional chiefs. The announcement, made at the relaunch of National Sanitation Day at the Institute of Local Government Studies in Accra, signals a dramatic shift in how Ghana intends to enforce environmental discipline, not through distant bureaucracy, but through the ancestral authority of its local custodians.
“If it is to be done, it must be done well,” Mahama declared, invoking a principle that has guided his governance philosophy. “And to be done well means it must be totally done.” His proposal is as radical as it is rooted: empower chiefs to sanction environmental offenders in collaboration with district assemblies, and restore the moral weight of communal leadership in the fight against filth.
The vision is clear. Every community has a chief. Every chief has a palace. And every palace, under this plan, becomes a courtroom,not of intimidation, but of accountability. Persistent polluters will no longer hide behind legal delays or political favors. They will face justice in the very heart of their community, under the watchful eyes of tradition and law.
Mahama’s call is not merely administrative, it is cultural. He lamented the erosion of communal labor and volunteerism that once defined Ghanaian life. “Our chiefs were the leaders when it came to volunteerism and communal labor,” he said. “Unfortunately, with independence and new constitutions, their authority has been eroded.” His remedy is constitutional: restore the powers of traditional leaders, especially in matters of sanitation, and let the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs engage the ongoing review process with urgency and purpose.
Cleanliness, Mahama argued, is not a policy,it is a value. A spiritual one. “Whether you are a Christian, Muslim, or belong to African traditional religion, all of them respect the slogan that cleanliness is next to godliness,” he said. “You cannot be a godly person if you live in filth.” He recalled the dawn rituals of communal sweeping in his youth, warning that modernization must not sweep away the moral codes that once kept Ghana clean.
The President’s message to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives was equally uncompromising. Sanitation, he said, will be a key performance indicator. “When we come to assess and evaluate your performance, sanitation will be a key yardstick.” During his previous administration, 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund was directed toward sanitation. That commitment, he assured, will be deepened.
But Mahama’s strategy is not all stick—it includes a generous carrot. A new award scheme will recognize the cleanest districts, with handsome prizes for both assemblies and traditional leaders. Volunteer groups like the “Bastok Boys” were singled out for praise, with a call for more youth to follow their example.
Operational reforms are also on the horizon. Mahama proposed regulations to shift garbage collection and cesspit emptying to nighttime hours, reducing traffic congestion and daytime health hazards. “It doesn’t make sense when in the morning we are rushing to work, and at the same time garbage trucks are competing with cars on the road,” he said. “We must regulate so that they do that at night.”
In his closing remarks, Mahama urged Ghanaians to become watchdogs of their environment. From wetlands to streams, communal vigilance must replace passive neglect. “Sometimes there’s a stream passing through your community, somebody will shift sand and narrow it, and when floods come, it is your house that gets submerged,” he warned.
Under his leadership, sanitation will not be a side issue. It will be central to decentralization, tied to the vision of a 24-hour economy, and backed by massive investment in infrastructure, drains, and pavements. Mahama’s sanitation courts are not just a policy, they are a philosophy. A return to roots. A call to conscience. And a challenge to every Ghanaian to rise, sweep, and rebuild.
Sankofaonline
