Anyenini Rejects Forced National Clean-Up Order
ACCRA — Prominent legal practitioner and Joy FM Newsfile host Samson Lardy Anyenini has declared that compelling citizens to take part in the nationwide clean-up exercise lacks legal grounding, warning that such a directive exceeds the constitutional remit of the presidency.
Speaking on the intersection of public policy and civil liberties, Anyenini argued that while sanitation remains a national imperative, enforcement mechanisms must be anchored in statute rather than executive fiat. He cautioned that administrative coercion in the absence of legislative backing erodes the rule of law and sets a precarious precedent.
According to Metro TV Online, Anyenini said, “There is no national law that empowers the President to force citizens to participate in a clean-up exercise. You can appeal to civic duty, you can incentivize, but compulsion without law is untenable in a constitutional democracy.”
The debate unfolds as government intensifies efforts to address waste management, flooding, and public health through mass mobilization. Advocates of the exercise contend that collective action is necessary to supplement the capacity of metropolitan assemblies and to foster a culture of environmental stewardship. Detractors, however, view mandatory participation as an overreach that could invite judicial review.
Constitutional scholars note that local government enactments provide for by-laws and communal obligations, yet they do not vest blanket powers in the executive to mandate nationwide civic labor. The absence of express statutory authority therefore creates a governance lacuna that parliament, not the presidency, is best positioned to resolve through clear legislation.
As the clean-up campaign gathers momentum, the conversation is shifting from intent to legality. The challenge now lies in reconciling urgent environmental goals with due process, ensuring that voluntarism and incentives, rather than compulsion, drive citizen engagement.
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Author: Korkor Anumu
