President Mahama Leads National Cleanup While Minority Demands Long-Term Policy and Mourning for Flood Victims

Following the catastrophic floods on June 29 that claimed approximately 30 lives and caused extensive property damage in Accra, President John Dramani Mahama has spearheaded a two-day National General Cleaning Exercise to address the city's sanitation crisis. As part of this effort, the President ordered the immediate activation of six waste transfer stations in Greater Accra—located in Achimota, Teshie, Kpone, Ashaiman, Pantang, and Adipa—which had remained idle for nine years. These stations, managed by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, now serve as critical collection points for the swift compaction and transfer of waste to disposal sites. While the pan-African safety group AfriSAFE praised the President's hands-on participation as a model of civic responsibility, the initiative has sparked a sharp debate in Parliament regarding the sustainability of the government's disaster response. Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has been a vocal critic of the two-day exercise, describing it as an insufficient 'short-term fix' that fails to address the underlying causes of Ghana's recurring flooding issues. During parliamentary sessions, Afenyo-Markin urged the government to transition from periodic cleanup operations to a comprehensive national sanitation policy focused on drainage systems and long-term flood prevention. He further criticized the government for failing to declare a period of national mourning or deliver a formal address to honor those who lost their lives, noting a lack of consistency compared to previous national tragedies. The Minority has since demanded ministerial briefings to account for the cleanup's sustainability and the government's broader response to the disaster. The cleanup period was also marked by leadership controversies and institutional friction. Lamtiig A. Apanga, Deputy CEO of the Gaming Commission, publicly criticized Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his absence from the exercise, contrasting it with the active participation of President Mahama and Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. Meanwhile, the Ghana Association of Banks (GAB) issued a rebuke to Okaikwei North MP Theresa Lardi Awuni following a confrontation with Cal Bank staff who remained open during the exercise; the GAB clarified that banks are essential service providers and called for respectful engagement from public officials. On a local level, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) took steps to improve waste management welfare by increasing street sweepers' monthly wages from 250 to 800 Cedis, funded directly by Internally Generated Funds following the cancellation of a private contract. As the nation recovers from the June 29 disaster, the political discourse remains focused on whether the government will heed calls for a more structured, policy-driven approach to environmental sanitation. While the mobilization of the military and private stakeholders like Zoomlion has provided immediate relief to flood-hit communities, the Minority’s insistence on a formal commemoration and a long-term strategy underscores a demand for deeper accountability. The upcoming ministerial briefings are expected to provide more clarity on how the state intends to build resilience against future seasonal floods and ensure that sanitation remains a national priority beyond temporary interventions.