Ghana security personnel drawn from the Army, Navy, Police and Fire Service have collaborated with workers of Zoomlion for a clean-up exercise in Accra to eradicate the scourge of the deadly coronavirus and keep the city clean.
The personnel numbering over 250, stormed the city with cleaning materials to clean the drains, streets and collected heaps of refuse along the streets to ensure the city is clean.
The exercise according to the officers will be carried out in all other regions across the country.
Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah whose ministry spearheaded the clean-up exercise indicated that the initiative in collaboration with the various assemblies is taking advantage of the lockdown to clean, cleanse and desilt major gutters to promote good hygiene in support of the coronavirus fight.
She urged the security forces before the start of the exercise, to clean and cleanse the various streets to the point where people can see their faces “when they look at the streets in their neighbourhoods.”
She also called on all homeowners to own bins, since they do not want to see people gathering their garbage on the ground for others to pick with their hands.
The Minister admonished those at home during the lockdown period to use the free time to weed around their homes and keep the environment clean.
For those allowed to step out, the Minister urged them not to litter the streets but use the bins provided, saying “If you are caught, the full rigors of the law will be applied. Please do not litter.”
The Minister said the assemblies are devising strategies to ensure that the streets are kept clean.
“We are asking you not to litter, if you do, the full rigorous of the law will be applied. We are encouraging people to work feed their families but will not tolerate traders and residents leaving dirt on the streets. We all know that’s what we are doing involves a lot of money so we do not want to clean and desilt the gutters for people to fill them with garbage. If you have a drain in front of your home and we find out it’s full of garbage, you will be charged, “she said.
The exercise was described as successful as major streets in the city got tidied up by the officers who believes, cleaning up the gutters and drain could go a long way to curb the spread and contraction of the COVID-19 virus.
