The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court has convicted three persons for various sanitation offences, including open defecation and dumping of refuse at an unauthorised place.

The convicts Jonathan Doku and Alhassan Seidu, who were found guilty of open defecation, were each sentenced to a fine of 60 penalty units or, in default, two months in prison, while Joshua Adjei was also sentenced to a fine of 50 penalty units after he was convicted for dumping refuse at an unauthorised place.

Head of Public Affairs at the AMA, Mr Gilbert Nii Ankrah who disclosed this to the media on Friday said the convictions formed part of the Assembly’s intensified sanitation enforcement exercise aimed at curbing insanitary practices within the metropolis, particularly open defecation, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and other acts that undermine public health.

He said open defecation remained a serious public health concern, as it exposed residents to diseases, polluted the environment, and undermined efforts to maintain a clean and healthy city.

He pointed out that the AMA's Environmental Health Officers, led by Florence Kuukyi, would continue to prosecute sanitation offenders to serve as a deterrent to others who continued to disregard the Assembly’s sanitation bye-laws.

He cautioned residents against open defecation and the dumping of refuse at unauthorised places, stressing that offenders would be arrested and prosecuted without compromise.

He urged the public to use approved toilet facilities and dispose of waste only at designated collection points, adding that improving sanitation in Accra required the active cooperation of all residents.

He noted that the Assembly remained committed to enforcing sanitation regulations across the metropolis as part of broader efforts to improve environmental cleanliness, protect public health, and restore discipline in the city.