President John Dramani Mahama on Friday joined residents in parts of Accra, including Tse Addo, for Ghana’s National General Clean-up Exercise, taking part in the desilting of choked drains as the government steps up efforts to improve sanitation and reduce flooding.
The nationwide exercise, organised by the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee, is being carried out across seven flood-affected regions following the devastating June 29 floods.
During his visits, President Mahama inspected ongoing clean-up operations, received briefings from local authorities and joined residents, security personnel and sanitation workers in clearing refuse and removing silt from drainage channels. He praised the strong public participation, saying the large quantities of plastic waste and silt removed from drains highlighted the impact of poor waste disposal and years of inadequate maintenance on the country’s drainage systems.
The President also urged authorities to ensure dredged silt is properly removed rather than left by roadsides, warning that rainfall often washes the debris back into drains and reverses the gains made during clean-up exercises. He added that the military and other security agencies would continue dredging major waterways to improve water flow and help minimise the risk of future flooding.
Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang also participated in the exercise in the Krowor Constituency, where she called on residents to take greater responsibility for sanitation in their communities. “We must learn to clean our surroundings ourselves; we must work together to keep our communities clean,” she said, urging Ghanaians to adopt good sanitation practices and support the government’s broader efforts to build cleaner, healthier and more flood-resilient communities.
