Heads of public and private institutions have backed the Government’s National Clean-Up Exercise and called for it to become a sustained national sanitation programme.
The nationwide exercise followed a directive by President John Dramani Mahama for public institutions, private organisations and citizens to undertake clean-up activities on July 10 and 11 after recent flooding in parts of the country.
The institutional heads made the call after joining staff to desilt drains, sweep streets and clear refuse in their respective workplaces.
Mr Emmanuel Kwao, Director of International Cooperation at the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), said the Authority participated in the exercise in response to the President’s directive and as part of its responsibility as a public institution.
He said the Chief Executive of GEPA, Mr Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur, led staff to demonstrate the Authority’s commitment to the exercise.
Mr Kwao urged road contractors to ensure construction debris was removed from drains before culverts were covered to prevent blockages.
He also appealed to the public to dispose of waste responsibly.
Mrs Bernadette Hoffman, Deputy Director-General in charge of Finance and Administration at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), said promoting public welfare also required maintaining clean and healthy communities.
She said institutions had embraced the exercise because sanitation directly affected public health and well-being.
Mrs Hoffman proposed that similar exercises should be organised at least every quarter to encourage sustained public participation.
“We clean our homes every day. The streets we use daily should receive the same attention,” she said.
Professor Lord Mensah, Head of the Local Government Service, said environmental cleanliness should become part of the daily lives of Ghanaians rather than an occasional activity.
He said blocked drains remained a major cause of flooding and urged the public to keep gutters free of refuse to improve the flow of stormwater.
Professor Mensah said he had encouraged staff to extend the clean-up campaign to their homes and communities.
The National Clean-Up Exercise involved ministries, departments and agencies, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, the security services, private companies, traders and residents across the country.
President Mahama announced the exercise following recent floods that affected several communities, particularly in the Greater Accra Region.
The exercise formed part of efforts to improve environmental sanitation and reduce flooding.
