Scenes from the Agormanya Market clean-up
In a recent effort to promote environmental awareness, the Chief Executive Officer of Tymcoin Pharmacy and the Assembly Member for the Agormanya-South Electoral Area in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region organized a comprehensive cleanup exercise across the Agormanya Market to help maintain environmental cleanliness.
Though the market center is not only a hub for trading activities but also a vital space for livelihoods, its current state of filth makes it difficult for people to fully benefit from it.
The exercise, which began in the early hours of Saturday, March 5, 2025, involved security agencies—including police personnel and immigration officers—traders, volunteers, and members of the general public. The main goal was to desilt choked gutters in the market.
Participants actively cleared gutters and swept the streets, significantly improving the cleanliness of the market area.
The initiative by the Assembly Member and Tymcoin Pharmacy emphasized the importance of maintaining a clean environment within such a major trading facility.
Assembly Member for the Agormanya-South Electoral Area, Rafat Mohammed, stressed the need for regular cleanup exercises in and around the market.
Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, he highlighted the market’s strategic role in the Eastern Region and the need to preserve its hygiene.
“The Agormanya market is one of the biggest markets in the Eastern Region and attracts a lot of traders. I’m not impressed by its current state, so I decided to embark on this communal labour and involve traders in the exercise,” he said.
He further noted that regular cleanups, especially with the rainy season approaching, would help eliminate the threat of disease and other environmental issues.
Expressing satisfaction with the turnout and enthusiasm of participants, the Assembly Member said the exercise would be conducted regularly to maintain a clean environment.
He also urged his constituents and market women to adopt good sanitation practices both inside and outside the market to promote good health.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tymcoin Pharmacy, Pharm. Emmanuel M. Philansmith, in an interview with the press, described the activity as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to keep the market clean and help prevent flooding during the rainy season.
“We have decided that as part of our corporate social responsibility, we’re going to clean Agormanya Market. We’ll ensure that every part of the market is clean so that in case of any heavy rainfall, there won’t be flooding,” he said.
He condemned the habit of dumping refuse into gutters by some traders and assured that his organization is always ready to contribute its quota to addressing sanitation challenges in the market.
According to Pharm. Philansmith, the goal is to maintain a biennial (twice a year) cleanup exercise at the market. He added that periodic education and sensitization programs would also be held to encourage market men and women to trade responsibly.
He expressed his appreciation to all who participated in the exercise and called for even greater participation in future events.
Some of the market women, speaking after the cleanup, acknowledged that regular sanitation exercises are key to maintaining hygiene and attracting more customers. They also admitted that displaying food items on the bare floor poses health risks to consumers.
However, they also shared several sanitation challenges, including a lack of adequate urinals and toilets, insufficient waste collection bins, and irregular waste evacuation.
