The two-day post-flood clean-up exercise is currently underway, with some shop owners defying the government’s directive to shut down their shops until 1:00 p.m., when the exercise is expected to end.

Speaking in reaction to this, Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has warned that offenders caught will have their shops locked and goods confiscated as a punitive measure, as the order was to ensure maximum participation in efforts to restore sanitation in flood-affected communities.

“We have instructed that nobody should open their shops because we want everybody to join the clean-up exercise. We have a task force moving around. If you defy the directive, they will seize your items and lock your shop,” she said, while speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on the first day of the exercise.

Madam Ocloo explained that the exercise, which started at 6:00 am, is expected to end at 1:00 pm each day, and urged residents and business owners to comply with the directive.

“We started at 6 and will finish at one. We expect everyone to comply with the directive,” she stated.

She said a task force has been deployed across the region to monitor compliance and take action against businesses that refuse to adhere to the closure order. After the goods are seized they will be donated to the prison service and some taken to charity homes.

“We will take the items to the prisons and children’s homes, so people should take note,” she said.

Also, yesterday the Minister revealed that President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang will participate in the two-day clean-up exercise scheduled for Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11.

She said President Mahama would join other stakeholders, including Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), traditional leaders and residents.

“Yes, His Excellency the President and the Vice President will be taking part,” she said.

However, she declined to disclose the specific areas the President would visit, explaining that the decision was intended to assess the preparedness of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

“We want to test some of the Assemblies by surprise. The President will visit and know what they have done so far,” she explained.

She added that she would personally supervise activities across several parts of Greater Accra, including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Ayawaso, Okaikwei North, Ayawaso West, Tema and La Nkwantanang.

The national clean-up exercise, branded “Green Heart” in Greater Accra, is expected to focus on clearing drains, removing waste from public spaces and waterways, and improving environmental sanitation ahead of the anticipated heavy rains.

The initiative has, however, attracted criticism from some observers who argue that periodic clean-up exercises alone cannot address Accra’s long-standing flooding challenges.

Responding to those concerns, Madam Ocloo said the exercise was not a standalone intervention but part of a broader government sanitation agenda aimed at restoring environmental cleanliness and strengthening flood prevention efforts.

She noted that addressing the country's sanitation challenges would require sustained investment and shared responsibility among government, local authorities and residents.