In the middle of a heavy downpour in Kumasi, a familiar scene unfolded. As floodwaters rushed through choked drains, some residents were seen emptying refuse directly into nearby streams\u2014hoping the rain would carry it away. By morning, the consequences were clear: blocked waterways, rising water levels, and communities once again at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is moments like these that have shaped the recent directive by Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Minister<\/strong>, urging citizens to report indiscriminate waste dumping. The decision did not emerge in a vacuum. It reflects repeated, visible behaviours that continue to undermine sanitation efforts across Ghana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Public reaction has been mixed\u2014but support is also growing. Former Member of Parliament Ras Mubarak has openly backed the directive, calling for it to be elevated into a national policy<\/strong>. His position reinforces a key idea: sanitation cannot remain a localised intervention. It must become a coordinated national priority<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many citizens, the frustration is deeply personal. Market women navigating flooded walkways, drivers stranded on submerged roads, and families dealing with the aftermath of poor drainage all point to the same reality: waste does not disappear\u2014it returns<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where the idea of a Sanitation Moonshot<\/strong> becomes urgent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A moonshot demands bold, collective action. It recognises that awareness alone is no longer enough. Encouraging citizens to document and report offenders introduces a new layer of accountability\u2014placing communities at the centre of enforcement while redefining sanitation as a shared civic duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Across the continent, change has taken different paths. Tanzania offers a powerful example. Its nationwide plastic ban reshaped behaviour within a short period. In Dar es Salaam, cleaner streets today reflect what is possible when policy, enforcement, and public communication align<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ghana now stands at a similar crossroads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enforcement alone will not carry the future. Infrastructure, reliable waste systems, and sustained public education must move together. And communication\u2014rooted in local languages and lived realities\u2014must connect policy to people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because ultimately, sanitation is not only about systems. It is about everyday choices\u2014
and the collective will to change them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n