President John Dramani Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has called on citizens to join the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and it partners to champion the “Clean Up Ghana” agenda project.
Speaking at the launch of the National Sanitation Day in Accra, President Mahama stated that the reintroduction of the initiative aims to foster a culture of environmental responsibility, improve public health as well as enhance the aesthetic beauty of cities and communities.
“The National Sanitation Day is a call to action; an opportunity for each of us, regardless of our political affiliation, social standing, ethnicity, or religious beliefs, to unite in keeping our surroundings clean,” he said.
President Mahama noted that the reintroduced National Sanitation Day will be observed nationwide on the first Saturday of every month across all 16 regions.
“I urge all Ghanaians to come out in their numbers to help clean our surroundings, desilt the gutters and weed unkempt public spaces. Let us make this a nationwide habit that reflects our identity as environmentally conscious people,” he said.
He further added that the “Resetting Ghana” agenda, is committed to ensuring that every Ghanaian has access to improved sanitation facilities, for which government is investing in modern waste management systems and sanitation facilities across the length and breadth of the country.
Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, said the country will no longer tolerate the menace of filth, environmental pollution and disease outbreaks.
He pointed out that environmental sanitation has long posed a formidable challenge in Ghana, saying, “improper waste disposal, poor drainage management, indiscriminate littering, and weak enforcement of sanitation bye-laws have led to grave consequences including outbreaks of cholera, malaria, typhoid and other sanitation-related diseases, and even led to unfortunate tragic loss of lives.”
The minister stated that the National Sanitation Day demonstrated that when citizens, assemblies, traditional leaders, and civil society come together, “we can make our communities cleaner and healthier. It is a clarion call to all Ghanaians, in a united front against unsanitary conditions.”
Ahmed Ibrahim addressing participants at the launch
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, assured her outfit’s commitment to lead the sanitation campaign.
“Together with all 29 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), environmental health officers, waste management teams, and community leaders, we will mobilise our people, identify priority areas, and provide the logistics needed for effective clean-up exercises. A clean Ghana is possible if we unite in discipline and determination,” she stated.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke