Staff of the Environmental Protection Authority, EPA, Central Regional Office hit the streets in the early hours of Friday, 10 July 2026 for a major clean-up exercise.
They targeted the stretch from the SIC Junction to the premises of their Regional Office, clearing filth and overgrown weeds along the way.
The exercise was held in line with His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama’s declaration of Friday, 10 July and Saturday, 11 July 2026 as National Clean-Up Day.
Following the directive, the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Professor Nana Ama Brown Klutse, instructed all EPA staff nationwide to take part in the 2-day exercise.
Dressed in EPA branded reflective jackets and armed with brooms, shovels, cutlasses and refuse bags, the staff cleared weeds from the roadside and from the frontage of their office.
The Acting Regional Director, Dr Daniel Nartey, said the office fully embraced the exercise to give meaning to the President’s declaration.
According to him, keeping the environment clean is critical to preventing disease outbreaks and flooding during the rainy season.
“The impact of choked gutters and blockages of storm drains by plastic waste cannot be overlooked in the recent devastating floods that were witnessed in Accra and other parts of the country, including the Central Region,” Dr Nartey stated.
“As the regulatory body for environmental protection, we cannot just preach it. We must lead by example and this is why we are using this exercise to sensitise the public that a clean environment is a shared responsibility,” he added.
He urged residents of the region to understand the dangers of improper waste disposal.
“There’s an urgent need for us all to have an attitudinal change,” he said.
“At least we have all seen how dangerous floods can be and the impacts, including even loss of lives. Let’s heed the President’s call, clean our environs regularly to prevent floods and also mitigate their impacts,” he advised.
Programme Officers who took part in the exercise pledged to sustain it, saying it is necessary to protect the environment.
Story: Bernice Nkrumah
