Direct Evaluation of MMDCEs' Performance to be Based on Cleanliness in Their Jurisdictions

Strategic Insights -

The Government of Ghana has intensified its efforts to improve sanitation in the country, with the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ibrahim Ahmed, declaring that Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) will be directly evaluated based on the level of cleanliness in their jurisdictions. This move is part of the government's 'Clean Up Ghana Agenda,' which aims to restore discipline, empower local governance, and foster citizen participation in sanitation efforts.

Key Takeaways:

  • The performance of MMDCEs will be directly evaluated based on the level of cleanliness in their jurisdictions, with sanitation being a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for these officials.
  • Assemblies are directed to clear all public spaces, ceremonial streets, and visible nuisances by 8:00 AM daily, starting September 4, 2025, and to sustain these efforts as a benchmark for performance over the next six months.
  • The government has released 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund to enable effective sanitation management, and will closely monitor compliance through a central dashboard and a sanitation hotline for citizen reports.
  • The National Sanitation Day (NSD) will be relaunched by President John Dramani Mahama on September 6, 2025, at the Institute of Local Government Studies at Madina, Accra.
  • The Minister urged MMDCEs to demonstrate leadership and creativity to ensure sustainable cleanliness, and called on Members of Parliament, the media, and citizens to support the initiative by mobilising communities, amplifying the message, and holding assemblies accountable.
  • The NSD represents a renewed social contract between the government and citizens, aimed at transforming Ghana's sanitation landscape through collective responsibility and accountability.

Statistics:

  • 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund has been released to enable effective sanitation management.
  • MMDCEs' performance will be evaluated based on the level of cleanliness in their jurisdictions.
  • National Sanitation Day will be relaunched on September 6, 2025.
  • Assemblies are required to clear all public spaces, ceremonial streets, and visible nuisances by 8:00 AM daily.

Sources:

  • Ghana Web, September 3, 2025, "Minister of Local Government pledges transparency for Swiss-Ghana Country Programme and Ghana Web, September 3, 2025, "Minister of Local Government pledges transparency for Swiss-Ghana Country Programme"