AMA, Global Citizen clean-up Dogo beach ahead of annual festival

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in collaboration with Global Citizens, an international education and advocacy organization working to end extreme poverty, has organised a clean-up exercise at Dogo beach in Jamestown.

The clean-up exercise forms part of activities ahead of this year's #GlobalCitizenFestival to be held on September 24 at the Black Star Square in Accra and the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City, USA concurrently.

The clean-up exercise was aimed at raising awareness about the significance of safeguarding the environment including climate justice for loss and damage.

Officers from the AMA and volunteers from "Won Bee Ga" who participated in the clean-up exercise collected plastic and other solid waste washed on the shore of the beach.

Speaking in an interview during the exercise the first female Mayor of Accra, Hon Elizabeth K.T Sackey called on all Ghanaians in and around Accra, to refrain from dumping rubbish into drains since it ends up in the sea.

She also used the opportunity to appeal to religious leaders in the country to sensitize their congregants on the need to desist from dumping waste into drains indiscriminately and support the city administration to improve sanitation.

She reiterated the Assembly’s plans to clean the beaches in Accra to promote tourism in the city.

"The beaches are a great spot for tourist attraction, but they can only serve that purpose when we have maintained it clean and attractive," she said.

She stressed the need for attitudinal change among residents to help address the sanitation situation in the city.

Performing for the first time in Ghana at this year's festival is RnB legend Usher Raymond joined by singer/songwriter SZA, Grammy award-winning artiste H.E.R, and Nigeria’s Tems.

Other artists in the line-up are Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie, Reggae/Dancehall artiste Stonebwoy, English rapper Stormzy, and musician Gyakie.