Let’s turn up for clean-up exercise

The National Sanitation Day (NSD) is a laudable idea, especially coming in the wake of the cholera epidemic that claimed so many lives in the country.

We have been told that cholera and other preventable diseases are caused by filth and insanitary conditions.

Indeed, not so long ago the country was engulfed in a lot of filth, compelling President John Mahama to personally take up the spade to show the way for a clean environment.

When the cholera epidemic was at its peak, especially in Accra, Vice-President Amissah-Arthur gave the Accra Metropolitan Assembly a 10-day ultimatum to clear refuse heaps in Accra.

A similar directive was given to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) throughout the country.

A casual look around indicates that the situation has improved somehow, but there is more room to make our cities and towns clean.

The NSD has, therefore, been mooted to inculcate in the Ghanaian the spirit of cleanliness.

In order to get a buy-in from members of the public, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Julius Debrah, visited a number of prominent chiefs, the Judiciary, the police and courted media support over the last few days.

We get the feeling that the minister embarked on this elaborate plan so that the execution of the programme would be a “carrot and stick” crusade.

For some time now concerned citizens have called for the re-introduction of the “saman-saman”, the dreaded sanitary inspectors who, in the days gone by, could visit people’s bedrooms to ensure that personal hygiene was adhered to.

Unfortunately, the advent of technology has not helped us to advance our ways of doing things. Ghanaians wield the most sophisticated equipment, ranging from cars to mobile phones, and yet every inch of space within our markets, offices, water bodies and streets is choked with refuse.

The Daily Graphic calls on everybody to re-think the way we have conducted our affairs, particularly regarding the disposal and management of refuse.

We, however, plead that tomorrow’s event would not be just for the cameras where all the ‘big people’ will turn up to make public show about waste management. 

If we want a change to begin with the NSD, that can only be possible if the authorities review all efforts that have gone into the planning of tomorrow’s activities.

In the first place, the state has the responsibility to ensure that the citizens maintain a clean environment.

Our tour of a few streets in Accra, for instance, showed that there are no dustbins on our streets where residents can drop their litter.

Also, there are no public urinals, while officials have failed to compel shops in all public places to provide places of convenience for their patrons and visitors.

Places of convenience are inadequate for visitors to Accra and other towns and villages and in places where they are available, the pressure on them is such that they have become an eyesore.

It is regrettable that some public institutions charge people who do business with them for using their urinals.

We can also maintain a clean environment if local government authorities provide dump sites throughout the country, otherwise when the people cannot find dump sites, the streets will be littered with waste, as is the case presently.

If care is not taken, this progressive national exercise will end up as a nine-days’ wonder because we have put the cart before the horse.

Whatever the challenge, we appeal to the minister to learn serious lessons from tomorrow’s exercise for the management of the environment in the country.