President John Dramani Mahama has deployed the Ghana Armed Forces, including the 48 Engineers Regiment, to support the removal of an estimated one million tonnes of waste from Agbogbloshie.
The military is working with the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP) on the 90-day waste evacuation exercise.
President Mahama said the deployment reflects a broader role for the Armed Forces in supporting national emergency operations.
“We are now mobilising them to clear Agbogloshie; after that, I have a lot of work for them. They have more tasks. Soldiers are not only going to go to war. They are going to be used for emergency operations,” he stated.
The exercise involves the excavation, loading, transportation and final disposal of accumulated waste from Agbogbloshie to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Site near Nsawam in the Eastern Region.
The President said government was putting equipment acquired under DRIP to use, including tipper trucks, excavators, bulldozers and wheel loaders.
“We are deploying heavy equipment which was secured under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), including tipper trucks, excavators, bulldozers, and wheel loaders to confront this longstanding national challenge.”
The operation is being funded by the Ministry of Finance, with additional support from the District Assemblies Common Fund.
The accumulated waste has been estimated at one million tonnes using a drone-based artificial intelligence assessment.
Agbogbloshie has faced longstanding waste-management and sanitation problems, including open dumping and burning.
President Mahama said the exercise is intended to remove the public health hazard while creating conditions for the proposed Agbogbloshie Urban Renewal Project.
He urged residents of Old Fadama and Agbogloshie to cooperate with the military, DRIP operators and assembly teams.
