Massive 3-day cleanup exercise begins in Accra and Kumasi

The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, in conjunction with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and ESPA have embarked on a three-day deep clean-up exercise of Accra metropolis.

The exercise - which is simultaneously being done in Accra and the Kumasi metropolis - is aimed at ensuring that lorry stations, market centres, streets among other public places of the central business districts of these two major cities are clean and hygienic.

It's also to utilize the lockdown period to ensure effective cleaning and cleansing of the cities in support of the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus disease.

Earlier before the beginning of the exercise, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, in a brief address explained that the exercise formed part of the central government's plan to keep the two cities clean.

She urged Ghanaians to take personal hygiene serious in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We must equally weed and clean our surroundings to ensure that we stay healthy all the time", she advised.

Again, Mrs Dapaah urged Ghanaians to refrain from the practice of littering into gutters, warning that the "full rigours of the will be hard on offenders".

She seized the opportunity to thank Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Uniliver Ghana Limited and Ghana Water Company Limited, who made various donations to the exercise.

She thanked the various security agencies--Army, Prisons, Fire Service and Navy who have deployed personnel to help in the three-day exercise.

For his part, the Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, said the clean-up exercise will involve desilting of gutters, collection of refuse and disposing them off, and emptying all litter bins on the streets of Accra.

However, he averred that the city authority will enforce its sanitation bye-laws to ensure that Accra is always clean.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, called on Ghanaians to be united to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

He assured that his ministry was also leaving nothing to chance to ensure that funds are readily available to fight the pandemic.

Waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, is providing massive support for the support.

The company has deployed some of its mechanical street sweepers, excavators among other heavy-duty waste management vehicles to support the cleaning of Accra.

What is more, the company has also made available 115 of its staff members, loads of wheel burrows, shovels and brooms all to assist in the exercise.

Earlier, it donated 10,000 pieces of hand sanitizers and 5,000 nose masks which gesture was highly applauded by the sanitation minister.

There were also donations from Uniliver and Ghana Water Company Limited.