Accra, Jan. 25, GNA - Parliamentarians in Accra/Tema Metropolitan Areas on Saturday began a year-long clean-up exercise to rid the area of filth in fulfilment of President John Atta Mills' initiative to Keep Ghana Clean within the first 100 days of his administration. The exercise undertaken in collaboration with management of Zoomlion Ghana was code named "Keep Ghana Clean".

The year-long exercise to be extended to other regions included distilling of drains, sweeping and collection of refuse. Speaking to journalists, Mr Fritz Baffour, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South and Mr Jonathan Nii Tackie Komme, Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo said their constituencies within fishing communities had high incidence of malaria, cholera and typhoid fever.

"There is therefore, the need to rid the communities of filth to ensure good health for the people," they said. "Being the heart of the metropolis, there is the need for us to get involved as Parliamentarians to join the citizenry to fight these preventive diseases."

At Madina/Abokobi Constituency, Alhaji Amadu Sorogho complained of lack of dumping sites to dispose off refuse and called on the people to participate in the exercise to be in good health to achieve middle income status set for the country in 2020.