Private legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini has argued that there is no national law empowering the President to compel Ghanaians to participate in the nationwide clean-up exercise, describing any attempt to force citizens to do so as unlawful.
His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s declaration of Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, 2026, as National General Cleaning Days in the seven regions affected by recent flooding. The initiative was intended to improve sanitation and reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, July 14, Mr Anyenini said security personnel or public officials cannot lawfully stop motorists or pedestrians and compel them to take part in the exercise solely on the basis of the President’s directive.
According to him, while the President may encourage public participation, there is no national legislation that gives him the authority to make the exercise compulsory.
He explained that enforcement would only be lawful where a Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly has enacted a by-law requiring residents to participate in community clean-up exercises.
“Unless you are certain that a particular assembly has a by-law mandating the exercise and a person is in breach of it, it would be completely wrong to force anyone to participate,” he said.
Mr Anyenini stressed that Ghana’s constitutional framework does not allow presidential directives to automatically carry the force of law.
“The President’s word is not law. There are legal instruments the President is permitted to issue, such as Executive Instruments, but this is not one of them,” he stated.
While encouraging Ghanaians to support efforts to keep their communities clean, he maintained that participation should be voluntary rather than enforced.
“I don’t know why anyone would refuse to clean because it is for our own well-being. But if someone decides not to participate, you can only persuade them, not force them,” he said.
Mr Anyenini concluded that compelling motorists or members of the public to join the nationwide clean-up exercise without the backing of an enforceable local by-law would be unlawful.
