The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), in collaboration with the Western Regional Coordinating Council, security agencies, and other stakeholders, on Friday, July 10, commenced the first phase of the National General Cleaning Exercise aimed at improving sanitation and reducing the risk of flooding within the metropolis.
The exercise formed part of the Government of Ghana’s nationwide initiative under the theme, “Our Actions, Our Future: Cleaning Ghana after the Floods,” following the recent flooding incidents experienced in parts of the country.
The day’s activities focused on the desilting of heavily silted drains in selected flood-prone communities, including the Komfoasi-Dankesim drain in Sekondi, the Mpentemnserew drain at Kojokrom, the SDA-Asempa Hotel drain, and the Mankessim White House drain in Takoradi.
Personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Navy, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, and officials of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly worked side by side to clear choked drains and improve water flow ahead of the rainy season.
Leading the exercise were the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Nelson; the Metropolitan Chief Executive for STMA, Hon. Frederick Faidoo; the Director of NADMO-STMA, Alhaji Kamal Deen; the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Commodore Samuel Ayelazono, together with officials of the Assembly and representatives of various media houses.
Although vehicular movement continued in parts of the metropolis, motorists were required to use alternative routes around areas where desilting works were underway. Many businesses remained closed while several schools observed half-day sessions in line with the national exercise.
Speaking to the media, the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Nelson, stressed that maintaining clean surroundings must become a daily responsibility rather than an occasional response to disasters. He noted that indiscriminate waste disposal remained largely an attitudinal challenge and called for stricter enforcement of sanitation regulations.
According to him, while national clean-up exercises are necessary, they cannot replace the daily responsibility of keeping communities clean.
“Cleaning should become part of our daily lives. We cannot wait for another national exercise before we clean our surroundings,” he stated.
The Regional Minister further expressed support for the reintroduction and strict enforcement of sanitation fines to ensure individuals and businesses take responsibility for maintaining clean environments. He observed that those who generate a significant amount of waste often fail to participate in clean-up exercises and instead become spectators, adding that sanitation should be compulsory for everyone rather than optional.
Commodore Samuel Ayelazono, Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, said the Ghana Navy considered the exercise a civic duty, explaining that waste is generated every day and should therefore be managed daily.
He disclosed that approximately 300 personnel drawn from the Western Naval Command, the Naval Logistics Command, and the Ghana Navy Fleet participated in the exercise.
He noted that the recent flooding experienced across the country had once again demonstrated the consequences of poor sanitation and urged residents to take lessons from the exercise by making environmental cleanliness a continuous habit to help prevent future disasters.
The STMA Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Alhaji Kamal Deen, explained that the first day of the exercise was dedicated to the security services, while the second day would involve residents across the metropolis, with the security agencies ensuring full compliance with the directive.
He stated that the operation targeted heavily silted drains within the Central Business District and other flood-prone communities where blocked waterways continue to contribute significantly to flooding during heavy rains.
The second phase of the National General Cleaning Exercise commenced on Saturday, July 11, with security personnel deployed across the metropolis to enforce compliance with restrictions on trading and vehicular movement while residents cleaned their homes, business premises, drains, and public spaces in accordance with the Assembly’s directive.
The Assembly has reiterated its call on all residents to embrace sanitation as a shared civic responsibility and to support efforts to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Sekondi-Takoradi.