In the bid to help Ghana improve sanitation and particularly make Accra the cleanest city in Africa, the United States Embassy’s Green Team, with the support of the Ministry of Sanitation, has embarked on a clean-up exercise in parts of the national capital.

The clean-up exercise started from the Kotobabi Police Station and transited to the Mamobi General Hospital before returning to the Kotobabi Police Station to gather the waste for proper disposal.

Residents of the two communities joined the American citizens in Ghana to take part in the exercise and waste bags were distributed to them to enable them to separate the types of garbage they produce at their various homes.

The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Porter Jackson and his wife as well as the Minister for Sanitation, Kofi Adda and the Assembly Members of Kotobabi, Newtown and Mamobi also took part in the sanitation exercise.

Sarah Steele, a member of the US Embassy’s Green Team told www.ghanaweb.com that the plastic wastes collected would be sold to a recycling company and the money earned would be used in organizing future sanitation exercises.

Addressing the participants after the successful exercise, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Porter Jackson urged Ghanaians to reduce the use of poly bags and stop littering their communities. This, he says would help keep maintain clean drainage systems in the country.

He also affirmed the United States’ resolve to partner government in its agenda to address Ghana’s sanitation issues, through regular clean-up exercise and awareness creation events.

The Minister of Sanitation, Kofi Adda after observing the bad stench from the drainage systems around the Kotobabi Police Station and its environs, promised to construct new waste pits for the residents.

He further urged all Ghanaians to be committed in helping the government to transform Ghana into the cleanest countries and called on stakeholders to also support the good course.

The Minister acknowledged the US Embassy for the initiative and urged citizens to come up with exciting events that will help in cleaning our society.

The clean-up exercise was put together by Ryan Caplin, Frulbright Researcher on waste disposal behaviour who is in Ghana for ten months working visit.

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