President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang have both joined residents in Accra for the National General Cleaning Exercise, taking part directly in desilting drains across flood-affected parts of the capital.
Speaking during the exercise, President Mahama thanked the residents who turned out to support the effort and pointed to what he found in the drains as clear evidence of the root cause behind the city’s flooding problems.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank all the residents who have come out to help with this exercise. Clearly, we can see what the cause of our problem is. The sand there clearly did not form in one year. It means this has been silted for so many years.”
President John Dramani Mahama
President Mahama used the moment to caution against a habit he said has undermined previous cleanup efforts, the practice of piling silt by the roadside only for rain to wash it straight back into the drains.
He called for a different approach this time, one that ensures the silt removed from drains is properly transported and dumped in appropriate locations rather than left nearby.
“Let’s make sure that after we take all this silt out, we bring enough capacity to be able to transport this silt and go and dump it somewhere appropriate,” he said, arguing that this step would restore the drains’ capacity to handle water for the next year or two.
Strong Turnout Across the City
President Mahama expressed satisfaction with the level of public participation he observed while touring different parts of Accra during the exercise. “Let me congratulate all Ghanaians who have come out. I’ve gone around the city. I’ve seen the turnout has been very good,” he said, crediting residents for showing up in significant numbers to support the cleanup.
He explained that the reduced capacity of the city’s drains stems directly from years of partial silting, which has diminished the volume of water they can carry during heavy rainfall, a factor he linked directly to the recent flooding that affected several communities.
Military to Continue Dredging Waterways
Beyond the day’s cleanup activities, President Mahama outlined further steps the government plans to take to sustain the momentum. He said the military and other services will continue dredging the city’s main waterways, ensuring that cleared drains have a proper outlet to channel water into surrounding wetlands.
“This will be a continuous exercise,” he said, signaling that the effort would not end with a single day of cleaning. President Mahama proposed a recurring schedule to maintain progress going forward.
“At least once a month, let’s set aside one day and all of us come out and clean the city,” he said, adding that combining this civic participation with support from waste management companies would help keep Accra clean and reduce the risk of future flooding.
Vice President Joins Cleanup at Nungua Market
While President Mahama led activities in Accra’s central areas, Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang participated in the exercise at Nungua Market and around the Presidency precincts.
She used her remarks to emphasize both personal responsibility and communal support as pillars of the cleanup effort. “We must learn to clean our houses. We must also learn to support others,” she said.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang specifically thanked workers involved in the cleanup, addressing them directly with appreciation for their contribution. “So I want to thank the guys who are in the nothing. Gentlemen, thank you very much. You are very very great guys,” she said, before extending gratitude to others involved in the exercise as well.
A Call to Break the Cycle of Littering
The Vice President also addressed the behavior that contributes to blocked drains in the first place, urging residents to change how they dispose of waste. She called on Ghanaians to ensure that garbage does not end up in drains and, importantly, does not find its way back into them once removed.
Her remarks echoed President Mahama’s own warning about silt washing back into cleared drains, reinforcing a shared message from both leaders about the need for lasting behavioral change alongside the physical cleanup work.
Together, President Mahama and Vice President Opoku-Agyemang’s participation across different parts of the capital reflected a coordinated push to mobilize both government and citizens around a common goal.
With plans for continued military dredging and a proposed monthly cleaning schedule, the exercise appears designed to establish a sustained routine rather than a one time response to recent flooding, one that depends on consistent public cooperation to succeed over time.
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