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Mahama Calls for Monthly National Cleanup to Combat Flooding

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President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to institutionalize a monthly national cleanup exercise as part of efforts to improve sanitation and reduce flooding across the country.

Speaking during the National Cleanup Exercise at Alajo in the Greater Accra Region, the President said while the ongoing two-day campaign was an important step, sustained community participation would be required to keep drains and public spaces clean.

“Two days are not enough to finish this work, but we are going to institute it so that at least one day every month, all of us should come out and clean our surroundings,” he said.

President Mahama said the initiative seeks to revive Ghana’s long-standing tradition of communal labour, noting that citizens were once taught to take responsibility for maintaining clean environments.

“That is what our traditional values were about. We were taught to keep a clean environment, but when we all leave our hometowns and we come because of the anonymity of urbanization, we think that nobody watches us. We must change that attitude,” he stated.

The President also called on Ghanaians to stop dumping refuse into drains, describing the practice as a major contributor to flooding. According to him, the cleanup at the Alajo drain, part of the Odaw stream, uncovered large amounts of silt, plastics, household waste, engine blocks, furniture and other discarded items that had obstructed the free flow of water.

He urged residents to use skip containers provided across the city for proper waste disposal instead of turning drains into dumping sites.

President Mahama further disclosed that the Minister for Finance had released GH¢150 million to support flood mitigation measures, including the dredging of streams and drains.

He said the Ghana Armed Forces would continue desilting operations after the two-day cleanup exercise and that government would procure additional backhoes to help remove excavated silt and debris into tipper trucks for disposal at designated sites.

According to the President, removing the waste from drainage channels is essential to ensuring that the cleanup effort has a lasting impact.

The monthly cleanup initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to strengthen sanitation, prevent flooding and encourage citizens to play an active role in keeping their communities clean.

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Stop Selling Wetlands or Face More Floods – Ga West MCE Rallies Residents for Massive Clean-Up

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The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ga West, Hon. Nii Sowah, has appealed to chiefs, family heads and landowners to stop selling wetlands for structural development, warning that the practice is worsening flooding across communities.

Speaking during the nationwide clean-up exercise with Kessben Digital, Hon. Sowah said President John Dramani Mahama’s directive declaring Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11, 2026 as national clean-up days was a timely intervention following the recent floods that left large volumes of waste in several communities.

He noted that the exercise is aimed at restoring cleanliness, particularly in flood-hit areas, and disclosed that the President personally joined the clean-up campaign on the ground to demonstrate government’s commitment to improving sanitation.

The MCE stressed that sanitation should not be treated as a once-a-month activity, insisting that residents must make cleanliness a daily habit rather than waiting for National Sanitation Day before cleaning their surroundings.

Hon. Sowah also reaffirmed the assembly’s resolve to enforce laws against illegal structures built on waterways, saying authorities have been empowered to demolish such structures to ensure the free flow of stormwater during heavy rains.
He assured developers that the assembly remains ready to provide proper planning guidance to prevent construction that could contribute to flooding.

The Ga West MCE commended the Member of Parliament for Amasaman Constituency, Hon. Sedem Afenyo, for his continued support for the assembly’s activities and praised former Amasaman MP, Hon. Akwasi Afrifa, for joining the clean-up exercise in a show of unity.

He also lauded the strong participation of the Amasaman Divisional Police and other security agencies, describing their presence as crucial to the success of the exercise.

Addressing traders, especially market women, Hon. Sowah urged them to keep markets clean at all times to promote a healthy environment.
He concluded by citing the cooperation between MP Sedem Afenyo of the NDC and former NPP MP Akwasi Afrifa as an example of putting national interest above politics, urging Ghanaians to unite in keeping the country clean

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Parliament of Ghana to Mark 20 Years Since the Passing of Justice Daniel Francis Annan

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The Parliament of Ghana will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of the late Rt. Hon. Justice Daniel Francis Kweipe Annan, the first Speaker of the Fourth Republic, with a two-day programme scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16, 2026.

According to a statement issued by the Public Affairs Subdivision of Parliament, the commemoration will be held under the auspices of the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, to honour the life, service and enduring contributions of Justice Annan to Ghana’s democratic governance.

Justice Daniel Francis Annan served as Speaker of the First and Second Parliaments of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001. Parliament described him as a key figure in consolidating Ghana’s return to constitutional rule and in shaping and strengthening the ideals of the Fourth Republican Parliament.

The commemorative activities will begin on Wednesday, July 15, with formal statements from the leadership of both sides of the House, reflecting on the late Speaker’s life, distinguished public service and contributions to Ghana’s democracy.

On Thursday, July 16, Parliament will hold a wreath-laying ceremony in his honour. This will be followed by a memorial lecture at the D. F. Annan Auditorium, to be delivered by retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba.

Parliament has extended an invitation to members of the media, the general public and all stakeholders in Ghana’s democratic process to participate in the activities as the House pays tribute to the first Speaker of the Fourth Republican Parliament.

The statement was issued by the Public Affairs Subdivision of the Parliament of Ghana for immediate release on July 7, 2025.

 

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Don’t Wait for the President Before Cleaning Your Environment – Amasaman MP Sedem Afenyo Leads Major Drain Desilting Exercise

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Member of Parliament for Amasaman Constituency, Sedem Afenyo, joined residents, market women and community leaders in a massive clean-up exercise aimed at clearing choked drains and removing refuse as part of the government’s nationwide sanitation campaign.

The exercise, undertaken with Nii Sowah, the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive, forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to improve sanitation and clear refuse following the recent devastating floods across parts of the country.

Rather than only supervising the exercise, the Amasaman MP personally entered the choked drains to help desilt sections that had been blocked with silt and waste, underscoring his commitment to improving sanitation in the constituency.
Addressing market women who actively participated in the exercise, Mr. Afenyo commended their efforts and urged them to embrace the National Sanitation Day initiative as a daily responsibility rather than an occasional event.
He noted that maintaining clean markets helps prevent food contamination and promotes the health and well-being of customers and the wider community.

The lawmaker further encouraged residents not to wait for directives from the President before cleaning their surroundings.
“We do not have to wait for the President to come and instruct us before we clean our environment,” he said.

Hon. Afenyo also assured the market women of the government’s commitment to improving drainage systems in the area while urging everyone to play their part by keeping the market and its surroundings clean.

He concluded by stressing that the renewed campaign for environmental cleanliness must not become a “nine-day wonder,” adding that if every Ghanaian consistently kept their homes and frontages clean, the nation would become cleaner, healthier, and better protected against flooding and disease outbreaks

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