Ahmed Ibrahim
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has called on the Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi, Mr. Frederick Faidoo to ensure immediate sanitation improvement in the metropolis or risk the consequences.
Speaking during the 2026 World Environment Day commemoration in Takoradi, the minister warned that the city’s uncollected plastic waste could choke gutters and cause flooding when it rains heavily.
“Plastic waste is visible everywhere in the metropolis and they could soon outnumber the fishes in local waters,” he jokingly remarked.
He attributed the sanitation crisis to weak management, and called on the Metropolitan Assembly to step up enforcement and restore basic cleanliness and environmental discipline.
He stressed that the unchecked plastic pollution threatens not only the city’s image but also its coastal ecosystem.
“I was not happy when I came here. The plastics issue is a problem. Why should we get more plastic than fish in our sea?
“The plastics you see around will find their way into the sea. I do not want to conclude that Sekondi‑Takoradi is the dirtiest metropolis. The Mayor of Sekondi‑Takoradi must be held responsible for the dirt,” he said.
He proposed a national conversation on banning single-use plastic and rubber bags.
According to some residents, the minister’s remarks should intensify pressure on the Metropolitan Assembly to act swiftly as concerns grow over the city’s sanitation decline.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi