To ensure a clean Christmas, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has declared one-week massive clean-up exercise across the country to beautify the cities and towns.
This declaration followed a strong warning to all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to enhance their efforts in improving sanitation in their communities.
He announced this nationwide clean-up exercise last Saturday when he paid a surprise visit to some assemblies in Grater Accra Region adding that, the one-week exercise which started on December 13 will end on December 20.
This initiative is part of a larger national campaign to ensure a clean and inviting Ghana before the Christmas and New Year holiday season, which usually sees many visitors from abroad.
Mr. Ibrahim shared this message during an unannounced inspection of various municipalities in the Greater Accra Region, including Ayawaso West Wuogon, La Nkwatanang, Madina, and Adentan.
He highlighted that the role of an MMDCE is to serve the community, not to enjoy privileges, and stressed that the trust placed in them by President John Dramani Mahama must be demonstrated through tangible results.
“So if you are an MDA or MMCE, President Mahama did not appoint you to just sit there and distribute the Common Fund. He gave you a job. Leadership is about service. Let that service be carried out. Our duty is to supervise, and we will increase our efforts in this regard,” he stated.
The minister also announced that sanitation workers, including ‘borla taxis’, sweepers, and waste collection trucks, will be fully operational across the country starting Monday, marking a strong government initiative to address waste management.
“On Monday, the borla taxis will be in action, the functional sweepers will be working, and the trucks will be on the move,” he said.
To guarantee the success of the week-long exercise, Mr. Ibrahim suggested creating a multi-sectoral task force that would unite key ministries to transform the clean-up initiative into a public health and national duty.
“We are all going to collaborate, along with my colleagues. We will involve Transport, Health, and Interior in this effort. During these seven days, we must ensure that Ghana is clean for the festive season, so that our relatives coming from abroad will have a positive impression of Ghana,” he stated.
The participation of the Interior Ministry indicates that sanitation laws, which include penalties such as fines or imprisonment, will be enforced rigorously during the campaign. President Mahama has previously reinstated the National Sanitation Day, clearly stating that MMDCEs will be held accountable for sanitation results in their areas.
On her part, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, who was part of the delegation, emphasized the economic significance of sanitation, pointing out that a clean environment improves Ghana’s reputation and enhances tourism.
She mentioned that keeping the environment clean facilitates marketing the country and leaves a lasting positive impression on visitors.
Mr. Ibrahim wrapped up by emphasizing that his ministry’s surprise inspections across all 261 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies will signify “the end of the era of pretense,” replacing ceremonial clean-ups with ongoing efforts and tangible results from every MMDCE.