The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has held an emergency meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Environmental Health Officers and Waste Management Directors from the Greater Accra Region to coordinate preparations for the upcoming Presidential National General Cleaning Exercise.
The meeting was convened with regards to the recent flooding that affected several communities in Accra and other parts of the country and forms part of government’s response to improve environmental sanitation and reduce the risk of future flooding.
Addressing participants, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ibrahim Ahmed, said the countrywide exercise will be held on Friday and Saturday, with the possibility of extending it where necessary. He noted that President John Dramani Mahama is expected to participate in the exercise.
He directed all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to immediately commence planning and community mobilisation for the exercise. He urged the Assemblies to work closely with Environmental Health Officers, Waste Management Departments and other stakeholders to ensure a coordinated and effective clean-up within their jurisdictions.
He further called for collaboration with Members of Parliament, traditional authorities, religious bodies, security agencies, community-based organisations, private sector partners and the media to encourage widespread public participation, stressing that the exercise is a national and non-partisan initiative.
The minister underscored the need for assemblies to ensure the availability of the required logistics, including refuse trucks, tricycles and earth-moving equipment, to support the operation. He also urged local authorities to intensify public education and encourage residents to actively participate by bringing available cleaning tools from their homes.
As part of the operational arrangements discussed at the meeting, Zoomlion Ghana Limited will support the exercise by providing logistics and personnel.
The company will also make six (6) transfer stations available to receive refuse collected during the exercise, facilitating the efficient evacuation and disposal of waste.
The minister acknowledged the country’s persistent sanitation challenges, including inadequate waste management infrastructure, limited landfill capacity and funding constraints. He indicated that while the Presidential National Clean-Up Exercise is an immediate intervention, government remains committed to implementing long-term measures to strengthen sanitation management and build more resilient communities.
The Ministry urged all Ghanaians to support the initiative and actively participate in the nationwide clean-up exercise as part of the collective effort to promote cleaner, healthier and flood-resilient communities.
