President John Dramani Mahama has joined residents, sanitation workers and local authorities at Alajo in the Greater Accra Region for the second day of the national clean-up exercise, as efforts continue to address waste management challenges and improve environmental sanitation in flood-prone communities.
The campaign follows recent heavy rains that triggered flooding in several parts of the country, leaving behind clogged drains, accumulated refuse and debris, while disrupting livelihoods and damaging public infrastructure.
The exercise, which began at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July 10 and continues today, Saturday 11, is aimed at clearing refuse, desilting choked drains, restoring public spaces and improving the free flow of stormwater to help reduce the risk of future flooding.
Speaking during the exercise, President Mahama said the immediate priority is to remove the heaps of waste and ensure they are transported to approved disposal sites.
“Today, we’re concentrating on scooping all the garbage and moving it to the dump sites for proper disposal,” he said.
The President, however, admitted that the volume of waste across the city is too much to be cleared in a single day.
“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,” he added.
President Mahama further disclosed that some waste management equipment procured more than nine years ago was not put into operation. He said steps are being taken to make such resources available to support the clean-up exercise and improve waste collection.
The first day of the exercise has brought together Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), public and private institutions, the security services, educational institutions, waste management companies and members of the public to undertake coordinated clean-up activities.
The nationwide exercise will continue until 1:00 p.m. today.
The government has urged Ghanaians to actively participate in the exercise, stressing that environmental sanitation remains a shared responsibility and a critical step towards preventing flooding and protecting lives and property.