President John Dramani Mahama has urged residents who are yet to participate in the national clean-up exercise to come out and support efforts to clear waste generated after the recent floods.

Speaking during the second day of the exercise at  Alajo, President Mahama said the response from residents on the first day was encouraging, with many people turning out to clean their communities.

He said the focus on the second day was to ensure that waste removed from drains and other areas is properly collected and transported to disposal sites.

“Yesterday the turnout was fantastic, very good. People came out and helped to clean their neighbourhoods. Today the turnout is also good, but I’m just calling on those who are still in their houses and haven’t come out, please come out and join us,” he said.

President Mahama explained that previous clean-up exercises often failed to achieve lasting results because waste removed from gutters was left by the roadside and later washed back into drains during rainfall.

He said authorities are therefore prioritising the evacuation of heaps of refuse gathered from the clean-up exercise.

“In the past, we do these clean-ups, we take all the garbage out of the gutters, but we don’t follow up and come and collect the garbage that is by the roadside. And so when the rain falls, it just washes all the dirt back in.”

According to him, large trucks deployed for the exercise will be used to transport the collected waste to approved dump sites.

The President, however, acknowledged that the volume of waste across the city cannot be cleared within a single day.

He said the Ghana Armed Forces and other state agencies will continue the exercise beyond the weekend to ensure all affected areas are properly cleared.

“We know that if you look at the city and all the garbage we’ve taken out, we cannot do it in one day. We will all have to do it today, but tomorrow the army and the other agencies will continue and rightfully clear all the garbage that was taken out of the drains.”

The two-day national clean-up exercise was initiated following the devastating floods that affected parts of the country, particularly the Greater Accra Region, resulting in deaths, displacement and extensive property damage.