The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has begun a coordinated operation to remove unauthorised structures occupying road shoulders and government-reserved lands across the capital, with the exercise led by Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey.
The operation targeted several locations, including the Awudome Cemetery stretch, the Awudome roundabout, the frontage of the Royal House Chapel, the North Kaneshie Last Stop and the Tuesday Market. Informal structures encroaching on public spaces were dismantled as part of efforts to improve sanitation, safety and traffic flow.
At the Tuesday Market, the mayor inspected the evacuation of accumulated solid waste and the desilting of drains, describing the work as critical to easing congestion and reducing health risks. He ordered the removal of all privately erected structures within the market to pave the way for redevelopment and announced plans for a major clean-up during the next National Sanitation Day.
Mr Allotey also inspected a facility said to be an AMA warehouse, directing its managers to report to the Assembly for clarification on its use and management.
Along the Awudome Cemetery corridor and the frontage of the Royal House Chapel, operators including food vendors, vulcanisers, air-conditioning repairers and spare-parts sellers were removed and cautioned not to return. At the Awudome roundabout, the team cleared scrap dealers and removed banners, billboards and canopies positioned along the road corridor.
In North Kaneshie, the mayor ordered a fitting shop operating beneath an ECG high-tension pole to vacate by Friday, warning that vehicles parked there would be towed if the directive was ignored.
The mayor said the enforcement actions would be sustained ahead of a broader decongestion exercise scheduled for February 1, stressing that unauthorised occupation of public spaces worsens sanitation challenges and poses safety risks. He warned that defaulters who return to cleared areas would face legal action, while assuring continued stakeholder engagement to keep Accra orderly, accessible and safe.