Christian Council leadership and the delegation
KEY LEADERSHIP of major Christian religious institutions in the country have vowed to support the National Sanitation Day Campaign, an initiative led by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA).
This commitment, made by these religious institutions, came to light when the sector minister Ahmed Ibrahim, and his deputy Rita Odoley Sowah reached out to the religious bodies, urging them to rally support behind the John Mahama administration to drive national development, with emphasis on the reintroduction and institutionalisation of the sanitation campaign.
At a visit to the Christian Council of Ghana, the Chairman, Rt. Rev. Dr. Hilliard Dela Dogbe assured the minister of their willingness to support the campaign, to help prevent the spread of waterborne and sanitation-related diseases.
Rt. Rev. Dr. Dogbe emphasised the importance of stewardship, citing biblical principles, saying, “God placed us here to take care of our environment, and as stewards of God’s resources, we believe caring for the environment is not just a national duty but a Christian obligation, hence we will do our best to ensure this campaign becomes a success.”
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, welcomed the initiative to declare May 3 as National Sanitation Day, pledging his support and urging all Presbyterians and non-Presbyterians to join the effort.
He emphasised the need for discipline in schools and collective action to tackle sanitation challenges in the country. “All of us talk about the good old days, but none of us is ready to do the right things if we allow discipline to take place in our schools,” he stated.
Rt. Rev. Dr. Kwakye expressed gratitude to the government for signing a memorandum of understanding with the Christian Council and other faith-based bodies on education, particularly mission schools.
President of the Southern Ghana Union of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA), Pastor Thomas Techie Ocran, entreated the minister to make exclusive provisions for members of the church, indicating that the set day for the sanitation exercise falls on Saturday. “We observe the Sabbath on Saturday, which is a day of rest and worship. So if you can make in your plan a specific day for us, be it May 2, or May 4 for us to partake in the exercise, we will be grateful,” he stressed.
The sector minister, Ahmed Ibrahim, on his part, said sanitation is now perceived as ‘someone else’s responsibility’, and its effects are clear: choked gutters, markets filled with refuse, beaches covered in plastic, and fishermen catching plastic instead of fish.
“We have plastic recycling plants, but they can’t pick up all the plastic unless we decide to ensure total compliance with sanitation practices and make sanitation part of our culture, guided by the principle that cleanliness is next to godliness,” he added.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke