Catch a Drain Dumper, Earn GH¢200 — Accra Mayor Launches Cash Reward Scheme to Fight Flooding
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has introduced a financial incentive aimed at enlisting the public in the fight against one of the city’s most persistent and destructive habits — dumping refuse into drains and waterways — by offering a GH¢200 cash reward for every offender captured on video and successfully identified.
The scheme, unveiled by Accra Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey, is designed to harness the power of citizen surveillance to tackle indiscriminate waste disposal, which authorities have consistently identified as a major driver of the flooding that regularly cripples parts of the capital during the rainy season.
Under the initiative, the reward is tied to each individual offender identified from submitted footage — meaning a resident who provides clear video evidence implicating multiple people stands to earn considerably more. Someone whose footage leads to the identification of five offenders, for instance, could pocket as much as GH¢1,000.
Mayor Allotey made clear that the Assembly is not starting from scratch, revealing that evidence has already been submitted by members of the public and that the AMA has cases on file ready for action.
“If you have complete evidence, bring it. People have already come with evidence,” he said, urging residents to ensure their footage is clear, complete and capable of supporting enforcement proceedings.
He stressed that the quality of evidence submitted will ultimately determine whether prosecutions can proceed, explaining that authorities require conclusive footage showing individuals in the act of dumping waste into drains or water bodies before legal action can be taken.
The announcement arrives at a moment when Accra’s flooding crisis is once again in sharp focus, following a series of devastating incidents in recent weeks that have submerged homes, swept away vehicles and claimed lives. Choked drains packed with plastic waste, refuse and debris have repeatedly been cited as a key factor amplifying the damage caused by heavy rainfall across the city.
The AMA hopes the reward system will not only generate useful evidence for prosecution but also serve as a powerful deterrent — making would-be offenders think twice before disposing of waste in a manner that puts the entire city at risk.
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