The Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has demanded answers from the government over the transportation of waste and the concomitant house flies from Agbogbloshi, a suburb of Accra to the Adipa area of the municipality.
The demand follows growing concerns among residents of the Yaw-Adipa/Asiyaw Electoral Area over the increasing volume of waste being brought into the community.
Addressing the media at a news conference in the area, Mr. Annoh-Dompreh questioned the rationale behind the decision to use the community as a destination for waste generated in the national capital.
He said the Minister responsible for Local Government should have engaged the chiefs, residents, the municipal assembly, assembly members and other stakeholders before the exercise began.The MP had earlier, on September 24, 2026, called for the suspension of the waste evacuation exercise pending consultations with affected communities.
He said residents had complained about foul odours and flies and raised concerns about possible water pollution resulting from the dumping activities.
“There was no engagement. The chiefs and the people in that area were not engaged. The local assembly was not engaged. Assemblymen, the MP of the area, all the stakeholders were not engaged,” Mr. Annoh-Dompreh said.
Sustainable Waste Management
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh said the controversy should be considered within the broader context of Ghana’s commitments to sustainable waste management.
He cited the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11, which promotes sustainable cities and communities, and questioned whether the current approach to waste evacuation was consistent with those commitments.
He also referred to the governing party’s manifesto, which he said contained commitments on sustainable waste management.
“What has changed? What has changed?” he asked, demanding an explanation for the decision to move large quantities of waste from Greater Accra to the Eastern Region.
Residents Raise Concerns
The Assembly Member for the Yaw-Adipa Electoral Area, Emmanuel Asamoah, who also addressed the news conference said the community had received waste for some time, but the recent influx from Accra had placed additional pressure on the area.
He alleged that residents were being exposed to large quantities of uncovered waste, unpleasant odours, rodents, flies and other environmental concerns.
He further alleged that runoff from the dumping site during rainfall had affected local drainage systems and raised concerns about possible groundwater contamination.
Mr. Asamoah also expressed concern about the possible health implications for children, elderly residents and other vulnerable groups, as well as security around the dumping area.
He said residents were also worried about the potential impact of the dumping activities on property values and the general quality of life in the community.
Five Demands
The residents, through their representatives, are demanding the immediate suspension of dumping activities at the site and an independent environmental and health impact assessment.
They are also calling for a comprehensive clean-up and decontamination exercise in affected areas, the installation of permanent security barriers and surveillance systems and a public forum within seven days.
At the forum, they want the municipal authorities to present a transparent, long-term waste-management plan that takes the interests of residential communities into account.
Mr. Asamoah stressed that the community was not opposed to properly regulated waste management, but objected to what he described as the use of Adipa as a convenient destination for waste generated elsewhere.
Seven-Day Ultimatum
The Assembly Member subsequently gave the authorities seven days to respond to the demands.
He warned that failure to take satisfactory action could compel residents to consider measures to prevent access to the dumping sites, including blocking roads leading to the facilities.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh, however, urged residents to ensure that any action they took remained within the law.
“We are not fighting government,” he said, explaining that his role as a Minority MP was to represent the concerns of his constituents and demand accountability through constitutional and lawful means.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of government’s ongoing waste-evacuation exercise aimed at removing accumulated refuse from parts of Accra, including Agbogbloshie.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
