The Member of Parliament for Guan, Fred Kwesi Agbenyo, has expressed deep concern over Ghana’s growing sanitation challenges fueled by poor planning, weak law enforcement amid increasing urbanization.
Contributing to a statement on urbanization and its challenges made by the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Mr. Agbenyo said filth has become a serious national issue that reflects poorly on the country’s development efforts.
He lamented that despite numerous examples of well-managed urban centers across the world, Ghana continues to struggle with waste management and poor city planning.
The lawmaker stated that, Ghanaian leaders travel extensively and observes that nations across the world have managed their communities well, and wonder why Ghana cannot adapt the same standards.
Citing East Legon, one of Accra’s prime residential areas, Mr. Agbenyo observed that even in well-planned neighborhoods, heaps of refuse and unkempt surroundings are common sights.
The Guan MP questioned the effectiveness of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA), urging it to play a more proactive role in ensuring that new settlements are properly planned and regulated.
He attributed much of the chaos in urban development to Ghana’s consistent failure to enforce its own laws. “Our biggest challenge is not the absence of laws, but our refusal to enforce them,” Mr. Agbenyo stated.
The debate on urbanization and its impact on the environment drew attention to the urgent need for sustainable city planning and stronger institutional action to address Ghana’s growing sanitation and infrastructure problems.
