In a powerful demonstration of leadership and community mobilization, the Development Queen Mother of Korle Wonkon at Agbogbloshi, Naa Okaikar Adesgba I, has spearheaded a major clean-up exercise in the Agbogbloshi community in the Greater Accra Region, as part of efforts to prepare for the upcoming Homowo Festival and promote environmental cleanliness.
The clean-up exercise, which took place over the weekend, brought together residents, market traders, youth volunteers, and sanitation workers, all of whom worked tirelessly to clear refuse, sweep streets, and desilt drains in various parts of the community. The initiative was supported by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), which provided logistics including wheelbarrows, brooms, shovels, and nose masks.
Addressing the media, Naa Okaikar Adesgba I emphasized that the clean-up was not just a one-time event, but a call to action for residents to take personal responsibility for the cleanliness of their environment. She explained that while Agbogbloshi is known for its popular market, it is also home to thousands of people who deserve a clean, healthy, and dignified place to live.
“Agbogbloshi is not just a market where people come to trade and go. It is a living community, and we must treat it as such. We must stop accepting the tag that Agbogbloshi is the dirtiest place in Ghana. That perception must change, and we are starting from within,” she said passionately.
The Queen Mother also expressed concern over the volume of refuse found in the area, much of which she claimed is not generated by locals. According to her, many people from surrounding communities often dump their waste in Agbogbloshi under cover of darkness, contributing to the area’s poor environmental image.
“It is unfortunate that many people from outside this community see Agbogbloshi as a dumping ground. That is part of what gives us this bad name. But we are taking steps to stop that and to let everyone know that we care about our environment,” she noted.
Naa Okaikar Adesgba I further called on the youth of the community to serve as sanitation ambassadors by discouraging open defecation, indiscriminate dumping of waste, and other unhygienic practices. She urged the elders and opinion leaders to regularly organize similar clean-up exercises to maintain the gains achieved and to keep the community clean beyond the Homowo season.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly was commended by the Queen Mother for its timely support and cooperation. She appealed for continuous collaboration between traditional leaders and government agencies to ensure long-term solutions to sanitation problems in inner-city communities like Agbogbloshi.
Residents who took part in the exercise expressed their appreciation to the Queen Mother for her visionary leadership. Many said the initiative has rekindled their pride in the community and inspired them to commit to better sanitation practices going forward.
As Homowo, the annual Ga festival that celebrates the end of hunger and the beginning of abundance, draws near, the clean-up exercise is expected to set a new tone for celebrations in Agbogbloshi — one that combines culture with civic responsibility and community pride.
