President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, July 10, joined residents of Tse Addo in the Greater Accra Region for the ongoing National General Clean-up Exercise aimed at improving sanitation and reducing the risk of future flooding.
The President rolled up his sleeves and participated in desilting a heavily choked drain, working alongside residents, security personnel and other stakeholders to clear waste and remove accumulated silt from drainage channels.
After receiving a briefing from local assembly officials, President Mahama took part in the exercise, which forms part of efforts to restore flood-affected communities and improve environmental sanitation.
Speaking during the exercise, the President commended residents for their participation and highlighted the connection between improper waste disposal and flooding.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank all the residents who have come out to help with this exercise. Clearly, we can see what the cause of our problem is. We’ve just desilted this. Look at the plastics that we are taking out of it,” he said.
President Mahama noted that the large quantities of plastic waste and silt removed from the drain reflected years of poor sanitation practices and neglect of drainage systems.
He also cautioned against the practice of leaving dredged materials along roadsides after desilting, explaining that rainfall often washes the debris back into drains, worsening flooding.
“I’ve gone round the city, I’ve seen the turnout has been very good,” he added.
The two-day National General Clean-up Exercise is being held across seven flood-prone regions as part of government’s post-flood mitigation measures following the June 29 floods, which caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.
