President Mahama, Ga Mantse, Zoomlion lead two-day national clean-up exercise

President John Dramani Mahama has warned Ghanaians against reckless dumping of waste into drains, insisting that drains are not “garbage instruments.”

He issued the caution on Friday, July 10, 2026, during an inspection of the Alajo drains as part of the two-day National Clean-Up Exercise, which runs through Saturday, July 11.

Accompanying the President were Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo and Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, whose flagship company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, deployed logistics and personnel to support the exercise.

Their participation highlighted a collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders in addressing Ghana’s sanitation challenges.

President Mahama described the June 29 floods as a “wake-up call” for citizens to change their attitudes and take greater responsibility for protecting the environment.

He expressed concern over the items found in the Alajo drain, which forms part of the Odaw stream, including silt, plastics, household waste, engine blocks, old furniture, and even dining tables.

“One, we must change our attitudes and stop the reckless dumping of things into the drain. The drains are not garbage instruments. If you want to dispose of something, you know how to dispose of it,” the President said.

He reminded Ghanaians about the availability of skip trucks placed at various locations across the city for proper waste disposal and announced plans to introduce a monthly national clean-up exercise to revive traditional values of maintaining a clean environment.

He noted that urbanisation and anonymity had contributed to a decline in communal responsibility, causing some people to disregard sanitation practices and “live in filth.”

To support long-term flood mitigation efforts, President Mahama disclosed that the Minister of Finance had released $150 million for dredging streams and undertaking related works.

He added that the military would continue drainage-clearing exercises beyond the two-day campaign and called for the acquisition of specialised equipment to remove and transport silt from drains.

“We must show that we are a resilient nation and we can bounce back even better,” he said, urging citizens not to adopt the attitude of the vulture that waits for the rain to stop before repairing its roof, only to neglect the task when the sun shines.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the national exercise, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong called for stronger enforcement of sanitation bye-laws, stressing that improved waste management infrastructure must be matched with strict compliance and effective supervision.

He noted that illegal dumping, particularly by commercial waste operators, including tricycle waste collectors, continues to undermine sanitation efforts.

He urged authorities to ensure that waste is transported to designated transfer stations and called for stronger monitoring at waste collection points.

Dr Siaw Agyepong commended President Mahama for the clean-up initiative, describing it as an important step towards addressing Ghana’s sanitation challenges. However, he stressed that lasting solutions would require collaboration among government, private sector players, and citizens.