By Joseph Kobla Wemakor


A massive clean-up exercise to get rid of the remnants emanating from the June 3 disaster of flood and fire which claimed 152 lives at the Goil fuel station near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, leaving survivors with various degrees of injuries has been held.

The Exercise dubbed "The Light Foundation Ghana June 3 Disaster Clean-Up Exercise" was organized by The Light Foundation Ghana (TLF), a Non-Governmental Organization working in the areas of sanitation, health and water.


The TLF June 3 disaster Clean-Up exercise took place on Sunday 14, at the Avenor Neoplan enclave near Kwame Nkrumah Circle, few meters away from the Goil fuel station which exploded in horrible flame last Wednesday June 3 claiming 152 lives was highly patronized despite the early morning heavy rain which nearly marred the exercise.



Although eventually scheduled to take place early in the morning by 6-9am came to a close at 12pm due to a heavy downpour which nearly ruin the well planned event.



About 500 volunteers comprising of The Light Foundation Ghana team and other stakeholders in the sanitation Industry defied the early heavy downpour to clean choked gutters, drains and swept the whole ground neatly and collected the remains of all the debris accumulated by the June 3 flood and fire disaster and disposed them off properly.



Speaking in an interview with Journalists after the close of the exercise, Sheik Ali Napari, Executive President of TLF Ghana noted complementing the efforts of Government to get the country clean of debris in order to prevent flooding and health hazards that comes with it, is equally the ultimate responsibility of The Light Foundation Ghana.

He said Government alone cannot handle the management and disposal of the magnitude of waste the country generates on daily basis therefore urged Non-Governmental Organizations and Individuals to partner with Government in order to make it a success.



He equally called on all NGOs working in sanitation and health to partner with The Light Foundation Ghana to organize series of clean up exercises on monthly basis to get rid of rubbish on the streets of Accra.



Sheik Ali Napari bemoans the shameful attitude of Ghanaians who indiscriminately litter the grounds, drains, gutters including the streets with plastic wastes and other debris, urging them to put a stop to that bad attitude since that is said to be the main cause of flooding which has resulted into the loss of 152 lives in a recent disaster of flood and fire.



He suggested advocacy as the only way to deal with the problem, pledging his outfit will embark on an advocacy plan to sensitize Ghanaians on proper attitudinal change on how to control waste instead of the indiscriminate disposal of waste into gutters and drains.



According to The project Manager of TLF, Hawa Suleiman Issah, The clean-up exercise will be sustained every month hence forth so as to prevent the gutters from getting choked in order to ward off future disasters and also avert health-related diseases.



She commended the Accra Metropolitan Authority and the Zoomlion Ghana Limited as well as other stakeholders and individuals for their support in making the exercise a success.



Ghana has lost 152 lives in just one day through the twin flood and fire disaster leaving hundreds of survivors with various degrees of injuries.



Many of them who have also been affected by the rain were either displaced or rendered homeless due to the tragedy.



Others survivors have also lost their valuables to the 3 hours heavy downpour on that fateful Wednesday, June 3 2015.