President John Dramani Mahama has told Ghanaians to stop using drains as dumping grounds.
Mahama stressed that indiscriminate disposal of waste is worsening flooding risks and undermining efforts to protect communities.
According to John Mahama, the June 29 floods should serve as a wake-up call for citizens to change their behaviour.
Mahama disclosed that the Alajo drain flooded because it has been blocked by a combination of silt, plastics, and household waste.
Speaking during an inspection of the Alajo Drains as part of the National Clean-Up Exercise, President Mahama stated, “We have to clear the drains. We just worked on this Alajo drain. It’s part of the outdoor stream. And there are two problems in it. There’s silt, and then there’s also plastics and household waste”.
“You find in a drain like this, there are Indian blocks. People discard an Indian block and throw it in the drain. Old furniture, dining tables, everything you can find in that drain,” he said.
“The drains are not garbage instruments. If you want to dispose of something, you know how to dispose of it,” he said.
Mahama further called on Ghanaians to make use of designated waste disposal facilities which include skip containers.
“We have skip trucks that leave containers all over the city. Just go and throw your garbage into the skip, and the truck will come and pick it and take it where it has to take it,” he said.
“We are taught to keep a clean environment. But when we all leave our hometowns, and we come, because of the anonymity of urbanisation, we think that nobody watches us. So we dump those values, and we live in filth. We must change that attitude,” he said.
He added, “The floods have been devastating, but we must show that we are a resilient nation and we can bounce back even better”.
“Otherwise, if we don’t do that, what we would have done would be in vain, because when the rains come, it will just wash all those silt and garbage back into the drain,” he said.
Also, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has joined the National General Cleaning Exercise, calling on Ghanaians to adopt responsible sanitation practices.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang warned that indiscriminate waste disposal is a contributing factor to flooding, which puts communities at risk.
The nationwide clean-up exercise follows recent floods that affected parts of the country.
The exercise, which began at 6:00 am on July 10, 2026, is expected to continue until 1:00 pm and resume on July 11, 2026.
The vice president, joining the clean-up exercise in the Nungua area, spoke to the media, saying, “We are here because something has gone wrong,” she told journalists.
“A lot of it is something that you and I have caused. We know that nature will do its own thing, but sometimes we also contribute negatively to the outcomes.”
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also highlighted that dumping refuse into drains prevents water from flowing naturally, which increases the risk of flooding that often affects people who played no part in causing the problem.
“There are times when even the person who suffers may not necessarily have been the one who caused the damage. When we throw garbage into our drains, maybe that is the reason why somebody’s house is finally flooded because we are blocking the water from taking its natural course,” she said.
According to Prof Opoku-Agyemang, the clean-up must serve as a reminder that preventing floods begins with individual responsibility and proper sanitation practices.
“We all know the right things. We don’t need any sermon. We know. Let’s do the right things and protect each other and protect our country,” she said.
She further thanked residents and volunteers who participated in the exercise, “I want to thank you all for coming out to help because there’s a time we should all show love”.
Watch the video below:
@ghnow_ President John Mahama address the press at Alajo #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – Ashraf Aboo Mu'ttassim
@ghnow_ President Mahama joins resident in Alajo to undertake clean up exercise #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
