• President Mahama has declared July 10 and 11 as National General Cleaning Days in seven flood-affected regions.

• Ministers, MPs, MMDCEs, security agencies and the public have been directed to participate in the nationwide exercise.

• The clean-up will focus on desilting drains, clearing debris and improving flood prevention measures.

The directive, announced by the Presidency on Monday, forms part of government’s post-flood recovery efforts under the auspices of the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee.

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The two-day exercise, themed “Our Actions, Our Future: Cleaning Ghana after the floods,” is intended to mobilise citizens to clean communities, protect the environment and reduce the risk of future flooding.

“This is a critical, nationwide exercise and all citizens are strongly encouraged to fully participate in it,” the Presidency said in a statement signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.

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President Mahama has directed all government appointees, including Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers, Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), and Heads of Public Institutions, to lead the exercise in their respective communities.

According to the Presidency, personnel from the security services, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and waste management companies will begin the clean-up on Friday, July 10, while the general public will join the exercise on Saturday, July 11.

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The clean-up will focus on desilting choked drains, sweeping and clearing sand, weeds and debris from roads, cleaning markets, lorry parks, recreational parks and other public spaces, as well as clearing communal waste collection points.

Describing the initiative as both an intervention and a national wake-up call, the Presidency blamed indiscriminate littering and plastic pollution for worsening flooding across the country.

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“For far too long, indiscriminate littering and plastic pollution have clogged our drainage systems, contributing to devastating, preventable floods that destroy livelihoods and claim precious Ghanaian lives,” the statement said.

The Presidency has also directed all MMDAs to work with waste management companies to provide waste trucks, gloves, shovels and other cleaning equipment, while ensuring that collected refuse and silt are immediately evacuated to prevent them from being washed back into drains.

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The announcement follows the recent floods that affected several parts of southern Ghana, particularly the Greater Accra Region, resulting in loss of lives, destruction of property and widespread displacement.