Mahama vows Accra will emerge stronger after devastating floods

President John Dramani Mahama has pledged that Accra will emerge stronger from the devastating floods that swept through parts of the capital last month, as he called on residents to play an active role in rebuilding the city through a nationwide clean-up campaign.

Inspecting sanitation works at Alajo on Saturday during the second day of the National Clean-up Exercise, Mr Mahama said the recovery of the capital would depend not only on government intervention but also on the commitment of citizens to keep their communities clean and protect drainage systems.

"We are doing this together. Ghana is a resilient country, Accra is a resilient city, and we'll bounce back better than before," the president said.

His remarks come less than two weeks after the June 29 floods, which claimed lives, displaced thousands of people and caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure across seven regions.

President urges residents to join recovery effort

Mr Mahama praised the strong public turnout during the first day of the clean-up exercise but appealed to residents who had not yet participated to join the campaign.

"I want all of you who are still at home to come out and help clean the city after the floods," he said.

The nationwide exercise forms part of the government's post-flood recovery strategy aimed at restoring sanitation, clearing blocked drains and reducing the risk of future flooding during the rainy season.

The campaign has brought together security agencies, local assemblies, traditional authorities, volunteers, corporate organisations and residents in communities hardest hit by the floods.

Focus shifts to preventing future floods

The president said the second day of the exercise was designed to address one of the major shortcomings of previous clean-up campaigns leaving refuse beside drains after desilting.

He said waste removed from gutters had often been left on roadsides, allowing subsequent rains to wash it back into the drainage system and undo the work that had been carried out.

"In the past, we cleaned the gutters but failed to remove the waste. When it rained again, everything went back into the drains," he said.

Mr Mahama said authorities had therefore directed sanitation teams not only to clear drains but also to ensure that all waste collected during the exercise was transported to approved disposal sites.

Long-term sanitation drive

The National Clean-up Exercise is being coordinated by the government's Post-Flood Mitigation Committee as part of broader efforts to improve sanitation and strengthen Ghana's resilience to flooding.

Officials say the campaign will be complemented by longer-term measures, including improvements to drainage infrastructure, stricter enforcement of sanitation regulations and increased public education on waste disposal.

For the president, however, lasting change will depend on a shift in public behaviour.

"We can build better drainage systems, but if we continue to dump refuse into gutters, we will continue to face the same problem," he said.

As residents cleared drains and removed debris across Accra on Saturday, the government said the clean-up campaign marked the beginning of a wider effort to rebuild communities and make the capital more resilient against future floods.