The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, has commended residents across the region for their overwhelming participation in the two-day national flood aftermath cleanup exercise, describing the massive turnout as a clear demonstration of citizens’ commitment to restoring environmental cleanliness and preventing future floods.
Speaking in an interview after monitoring the exercise in selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the Minister expressed satisfaction with the level of public cooperation and praised stakeholders for ensuring the successful execution of the exercise.
The monitoring team visited several assemblies, including Weija-Gbawe, Ayawaso Central, Okaikwei North, La Nkwantanang-Madina, Tema West and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), where residents, market women, assembly officials, security personnel and sanitation workers were actively engaged in clearing drains, removing debris and desilting gutters.
Hon. Ocloo, who also serves as Chairperson of the Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC), said extensive preparations were made ahead of the exercise to ensure its success.
According to her, the Regional Coordinating Council constituted monitoring teams comprising chief executives of assemblies, officials from state institutions, market leaders and other stakeholders to supervise activities across the region.
She noted that the Vice President also joined the monitoring exercise, describing her participation as a strong demonstration of government’s commitment to improving sanitation and reducing the devastating impact of flooding in the capital.
“Our target is to clear debris, desilt drains, clean medians and ensure that the city is in a better state before the next heavy rains. Even if flooding occurs, the impact will be greatly minimised,” she stated.
The Regional Minister warned that government would not tolerate individuals or businesses that disregard the President’s directive to participate in the exercise.
She stressed that no one is above the law and directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to deploy task forces to ensure full compliance.
Hon. Ocloo cautioned that shops that deliberately refused to observe the exercise risked having their premises closed, while items removed from such shops could be donated to orphanages, prisons and other institutions in need.
She rejected suggestions that periodic cleanup exercises have failed to produce lasting results, insisting that sanitation should not be viewed as the sole responsibility of the assemblies.
“Sanitation is a shared responsibility. If citizens actively support the assemblies during sanitation exercises and obey sanitation regulations, we would not have reached the current situation,” she said.
The Minister observed that the country’s sanitation challenges stem from a collective failure to consistently support assembly-led initiatives and urged Ghanaians to adopt positive environmental attitudes beyond designated cleanup days.
She further called on the assemblies to strictly enforce existing sanitation bylaws after the exercise, stressing that sustained enforcement, coupled with public cooperation, remains the surest way to maintain a cleaner environment and reduce the perennial flooding that continues to affect many parts of Greater Accra.
