President John Dramani Mahama has launched the National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise as part of efforts to tackle Ghana’s sanitation challenges and rid major cities of accumulated waste.
The exercise was launched on Friday, September 18, at the IRECOP Centre at Agbogbloshie, where a large refuse heap has become a longstanding sanitation concern.
Speaking at the launch, President Mahama described the situation as a national emergency, stressing the need for urgent action to protect public health and restore the dignity of communities affected by poor sanitation.
“For too long, we have lived with this shame in the middle of our capital. Today, we say enough is enough. Accra must breathe again. Jamestown must live again.”
He said the exercise forms part of his administration’s efforts to deliver on its Clean Ghana Agenda, with government relying on existing state resources to address the sanitation crisis.
Government deploys DRIP equipment
President Mahama commended the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs for adopting what he described as a cost-effective approach by deploying equipment under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) rather than awarding new contracts.
“This is the Reset we promised. Using what we already have, with our own men and women, our own military, our own assemblies, to solve our own problems. That is value for money. That is self-reliance.”
He also commended the Ghana Armed Forces for supporting the exercise with personnel and logistics.
The President further acknowledged the Minister for Roads and Highways for securing more than 200 trucks from road contractors to support the waste evacuation exercise.
He also praised the Ministry of Finance for agreeing to finance the fuel and maintenance of the DRIP equipment through the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Exercise to go beyond waste evacuation
President Mahama said the initiative would not end with the removal of existing waste, but would form part of a broader effort to improve waste management across the country.
He directed that much of the evacuation work be carried out at night to minimise the impact on traffic in Accra.
According to him, government plans to provide modern landfill sites and recycling plants in major cities through allocations in the 2026 and 2027 budgets.
“The Clean Ghana Agenda is not a slogan. It is a commitment. From Agbogbloshie today, we begin to clean every corner of our country.”
Mahama urges public cooperation
The President also appealed to Ghanaians, traditional leaders, assembly members and youth groups to support the exercise and help prevent the recurrence of indiscriminate dumping.
“If we clean Agbogbloshie today and you go and dump there tomorrow, we have done nothing. Cleanliness must become a way of life. Let us all be responsible.”
The National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise is being undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the Ghana Armed Forces and DRIP.
The exercise is expected to clear the longstanding refuse heap at Agbogbloshie as government intensifies efforts to address Ghana’s sanitation challenges.
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