The Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, has restated the government’s commitment to restoring communities hit by the heavy floods of June 29.
He said the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have been fully mobilised to lead the nationwide clean-up exercise ordered by President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking during a visit to monitor the clean-up, Mr. Brogya Genfi said the two-day exercise was directed by President Mahama after the floods claimed about 30 lives and left large areas of Accra flooded.
The aim, he said, was to clear garbage, desilt drains and prevent disease outbreaks. He noted that the President’s direct involvement showed how urgent the response was and the government’s determination to protect lives and property.
“The Commander-in-Chief, President John Dramani Mahama, is himself on the ground, so we must not fail the people. At the Ministry of Defence, we are providing strategic direction for the military to support the clearing of waste and debris,” he said.
According to the Deputy Minister, the Ministry of Defence was giving leadership while the Ghana Armed Forces assign personnel and engineering units to clear debris, evacuate waste and open blocked drains in affected communities.
He observed that as military teams removed piled-up refuse, residents kept bringing out more waste from their homes. This shows the size of the sanitation challenge in the affected areas.
Mr. Brogya Genfi stressed that apart from the clean-up, government will increase fumigation and disinfection in flood-hit areas to reduce the risk of disease.
“Beyond the clean-up, there will be a health response through fumigation and disinfection so that we do not experience any disease outbreak,” he said.
He also called for closer collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, J.A Plantpool and other private companies, saying the scale of the clean-up needs more logistical support.
He commended Zoomlion for voluntarily releasing its semi-trailers to cart waste to dump sites.
“This exercise cannot be done by government alone. We need private sector support, which is why we are working with the Jospong Group to provide the logistics needed to support the military-led operation,” he stated. The Deputy Minister added that government officials had visited the Jospong Group of Companies to check its readiness to provide equipment and logistics for the exercise. He explained that military engineers have been assigned to handle evacuation work and desilt drainage channels, but continued support from private partners will be important to sustain the operation.
