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The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has urged all municipal, metropolitan and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to take immediate steps to clear filth and properly manage waste within their jurisdictions during the festive season.
Mr Ibrahim stressed that as human activities, particularly trading, increased ahead of the Christmas festivities, more waste would be generated, and the local assemblies must double their efforts to keep the environment in its pristine state.
While underscoring the need for the assemblies to enforce environmental laws, the minister also stressed that systems must be put in place to manage traffic flow in the city centres.
He was speaking at the climax of a week-long national sanitation exercise in Accra last Saturday.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation, the minister conducted a monitoring tour across key ceremonial streets in Accra, including the John Evans Atta Mills Highway and other spots within the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly and Burma Camp.
The initiative was a mobilisation effort to enhance the city’s aesthetic appeal during the festive season.
Additionally, the exercise was intended to prevent health disasters as the country prepares to welcome international visitors and dignitaries for the holidays.
During the visit to Burma Camp, the minister met and engaged with personnel from the security agencies, including the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Ghana Prisons Service, and Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
The security personnel actively participated in the clean-up exercise, with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) providing support with water tankers, while others focused on clearing debris.
The minister commended the security personnel for their collaboration to rid the city of filth.
He noted that the hands-on networking between the security services and the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) had set a standard for leadership across the country.
“Public service means you are not on your own; once you enter, you have no privacy.
This Christmas is about cleaning as part of disaster prevention,” he said.
He emphasised that because LADMA housed the President at the Jubilee House and the majority of the diplomatic corps, it must remain the cleanest enclave in the country to maintain Ghana's international image.
The minister urged all other metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to emulate and sustain the momentum into the new year.
