President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday joined residents of Alajo in the Greater Accra Region for the second day of the government’s nationwide clean-up exercise, aimed at tackling poor sanitation and reducing the risk of flooding in vulnerable communities.
The exercise, which started at 6:00 a.m., brought together residents, sanitation workers, local authorities and volunteers to clear refuse, desilt drains and remove debris left behind by recent floods that affected parts of the country.
Addressing participants during the exercise, President Mahama said the immediate task was to remove accumulated waste from communities and transport it to designated disposal sites.
“Today, we’re concentrating on scooping all the garbage and moving it to the dump sites for proper disposal,” he said.
He acknowledged that the scale of the sanitation problem means the work cannot be completed in a single exercise.
“When you look at the city and all the garbage that has accumulated, we cannot do it in one day. But today, we are all coming together to make a start, and we will continue until we clear the waste,” the President stated.
Mr Mahama also disclosed that some waste management equipment acquired more than nine years ago had never been put into operation. According to him, government is taking steps to make those resources available to strengthen waste collection and support ongoing sanitation efforts.
The nationwide campaign was launched on Friday, July 10, following heavy rains that caused flooding in several communities, leaving drains choked with silt and refuse while disrupting economic activities and damaging public infrastructure.
The exercise has mobilised Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the security services, schools, waste management companies, private organisations and community members to undertake coordinated clean-up activities across the country.
Authorities say the campaign, which runs until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, is intended to restore public spaces, improve the flow of stormwater through drainage systems and minimise the risk of future flooding.
Government has also appealed to the public to actively participate in the exercise, stressing that maintaining a clean environment is a shared responsibility essential to protecting lives, property and communities from the impact of floods.
