Mahama Announces Two-Day National Cleanup In Flood-Hit Regions

Following floods that hit seven regions in Ghana, President John Dramani Mahama has declared Friday, July 10th, and Saturday, July 11th, as national general cleaning days to reduce the risk of any future flooding incidents.

The disaster has so far claimed 13 lives and destroyed more than 7,000 households according to authorities.

Organized by the Office of the Post Flood Mitigation Committee, the two-day exercise will be held under the theme "Our Actions, Our Future: Cleaning Ghana After the Floods".

The initiative will mobilize Ghanaians to clean their surroundings, starting with their communities, to protect the environment and lives.

The announcement was made public on Monday, July 6, by government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who described the initiative as an essential intervention and encouraged Ghanaians to actively participate.

The president has also directed all government appointees, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), and heads of public institutions, to vacate their offices and personally lead the exercise in their various communities.

The exercise will be conducted in phases for effective coordination. The operation will begin on Friday with security services, garbage management businesses, and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) staff, and members of the public will join the exercise on Saturday.

The statement said the cleanup will focus on clearing sand, weeds, and debris from roads and highways, cleaning public places such as markets, truck parks, recreational parks, and shared waste collection points, and desilting clogged drains to improve the free flow of water ahead of the rainy season.

"For far too long, indiscriminate littering and plastic pollution have clogged our drainage systems, contributing to devastating, preventable floods that destroy livelihoods and claim precious Ghanaian lives," the statement added.