The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has called on sanitation workers and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to continue the nationwide clean-up exercise beyond the initial two-day period directed by President John Dramani Mahama.
Addressing field teams during an inspection tour of ongoing clean-up activities, the Minister stressed that sanitation operations should continue until Saturday and even beyond if necessary.
“And that’s why we are continuing. Please continue until Saturday and if there’s any further directive, we’ll give it to you,” he told the workers.
Mr. Ibrahim said Ghana, which is approaching its 70th anniversary of independence, deserves improved sanitation standards and a cleaner environment.
According to him, the country cannot continue to grapple with preventable disasters and deaths associated with poor sanitation and flooding.
“Ghana will be seventy years soon and Ghana must be cleaner than we have it now. We cannot be seventy years and be hearing the kind of deaths and situations we are all hearing about,” he said.
The Minister commended sanitation workers and Assembly officials for continuing the exercise even after the official two-day directive had ended.
“You are doing a very good job by continuing the work that has started. Don’t go to your offices and say the work is over and therefore you are going to rest.
Once you are in public office, it is not time to rest. Continue your good work and the President is proud of you,” he added.
President Mahama last week directed a nationwide two-day clean-up exercise as part of efforts to improve sanitation and address the impact of flooding in several parts of the country.
However, the Ministry of Local Government has since expanded the operation to include the evacuation and transportation of waste to disposal sites, the decongestion of refuse collection points, and other sanitation interventions in affected communities.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Ibrahim explained that the Ministry’s engagement with the media and the field tour were intended to give journalists a first-hand appreciation of the progress made and provide context to the ongoing operations across the country.
