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Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has directed the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and sanitation agencies to clear all refuse at unapproved dump sites in the metropolis within 10 days. He gave the ultimatum when he led a team of government officials to clear refuse at the Agbogbloshie Market in Accra last Monday. The Vice-President was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Dr Kweku Agyeman Mensah; the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Julius Debrah and his deputy Nii Lante Vanderpuye; Minister of Roads and Highways, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo. The team also visited Sodom and Gomorrah, Kokomlemle, and inspected a portion of the Korle Lagoon. The visit followed a directive by President John Dramani Mahama to the Local Government Ministry and the city authorities to, as a matter of urgency, clear all refuse in the metropolis. The exercise, which was carried out about 8:30 p.m., also aimed at improving sanitation in the metropolis which has been hit by a cholera outbreak. The outbreak has been linked to deteriorating sanitation in the metropolis. About 200 cholera cases have been reported in Accra, with 15 deaths recorded. About 40 tipper trucks and other heavy equipment were deployed to the sites to cart the refuse to a new dumping site provided by the AMA in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Meanwhile, 18 unapproved dump sites have been identified to be cleared of refuse. Congestion The clean-up exercise created a lot of congestion in the market. An overpowering stench from the refuse also made it difficult for people to breath. On whether Ghana could achieve the MDG seven which focuses on sanitation, Mr Amissah-Arthur said the country was currently facing some problems with regard to achieving that target. "Sanitation is not what you see here. There are other aspects of sanitation and we are dealing with them but as a people, we should be able to manage ourselves as there are some responsibilities that every individual can discharge that will not lead to the situation that we find ourselves in now", he said. He, therefore, urged the general public to join in the effort towards achieving the MDG seven. System failure The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Julius Debrah, conceded that for sometime now, there had been a system failure in the area of sanitation. He said the result was the heaps of rubbish in the city, adding that as an immediate measure, the ministry had identified two more waste disposal sites to help clear the filth.