Ga Mantse Orders Shops Closed for Homowo Clean-up Exercise on July 2

The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tsuru II, has directed that all shops in Accra remain closed on July 2, 2024, for the Homowo Clean-up Exercise. The clean-up exercise is part of the Homowo celebrations, a prestigious annual event celebrated by the Ga people of Accra.

The exercise aims to ensure a clean and safe environment for the festivities and promote cleanliness and sanitation in the city. The Ga Traditional Council will enforce the directive and ensure that all laws of assemblies under its jurisdiction are enforced.

The Ga Mantse also ordered the removal of unauthorized banners and posters by the roadsides of Accra. He endorsed an initiative to award the cleanest communities in Accra, with the cleanest community being awarded after every edition of the exercise.

The Homowo Clean-up Exercise is a collaboration between the Ga Traditional Council and government agencies, including the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, and Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

The exercise will take place in all 25 local government authorities within the Greater Accra Region and will involve household registration for organized waste collection services, education on waste management techniques, and enforcement of bylaws to ensure compliance with waste management regulations.

The Ga Mantse warned against the politicization of the exercise, emphasizing that environmental cleanliness affects everyone regardless of political affiliations. He urged all residents to adhere strictly to sanitation bylaws, clean their frontages, gutters, and premises, and called for the reintroduction of communal labor and intensified public education on sanitation.

A special task force will be deployed to arrest offenders who refuse to comply with the sanitation bylaws and ensure they face the full force of the law. The Ga Mantse announced sanitation competitions among schools, communities, markets, and lorry stations, with awards up for grabs for the cleanest.

The Accra Mayor, Elizabeth K.T. Sackey, called for change, decrying the city’s persistent poor sanitary conditions. The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, said her ministry was fully equipped and ready for the clean-up exercise.

Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, commended his predecessor’s efforts and expressed gratitude to the Ga Traditional Council for reviving the ‘Keep Accra Clean’ campaign.

The Homowo festival is a significant event in the Ga calendar, celebrated to commemorate the migration of the Ga people from their ancestral homeland to their present location in Accra. The festival is characterized by traditional dances, music, and feasting, and is an important aspect of Ga culture and heritage.

The clean-up exercise is a crucial aspect of the festival, aimed at ensuring a clean and safe environment for the festivities. The Ga Traditional Council has urged all residents to support the exercise and make Accra a cleaner and healthier city.

The exercise is also aimed at promoting a culture of cleanliness and sanitation among residents, and encouraging community participation in maintaining a clean environment. The Ga Mantse has called on all stakeholders to support the exercise and make it a success.

With the support of the government, traditional authorities, and residents, the Homowo Clean-up Exercise is expected to make a significant impact on the cleanliness and sanitation of Accra, and set a high standard for future clean-up exercises in the city.

Source:kofitutunews.com