Madina hosts regional sanitation day

The maiden edition of the Greater Accra Regional Sanitation Day which was marked last Friday received an encouraging response from residents of Madina and its environs.

From 6 a.m. to 12 noon, virtually all commercial activities came to a standstill at the Madina Market, as many traders closed their shops and drivers parked their vehicles to either take part in the exercise or create opportunities for others to do so.

In attendance were by the Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo; the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Joseph Siaw Agyepong; the Chief Corporate Communication Officer of Jospong Group of Companies, Sophia Kudjordji, traditional leaders, assembly members within La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality and other eminent personalities within the region.

It was facilitated by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) with support from Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Bus Stop Boys and Informal Waste, among other institutions.

Relaunch

The Regional Sanitation Day will be observed on the last Friday of every month to promote cleanliness and proper waste management across the region.

Ms Ocloo, who launched the exercise, encouraged Ghanaians to see the Sanitation Day exercise as a call to national duty requiring that all citizens adopt a positive outlook to sanitation this year and beyond.

She said such an important exercise, geared towards bringing about a healthy environment, should not be undermined through apathy, but rather be supported by all Ghanaians.

In the past, there were efforts to rally the general public for National Sanitation Day with the first Saturday of the month set aside for that exercise, however, that was not sustained.

The regional minister thus said the relaunch of the Regional Sanitation Day aligned with the President’s reset agenda.

She said the regional exercise would be followed by the national sanitation day to be launched soon by the President.

She said the initiative aimed to instil a renewed sense of cleanliness and responsibility in the communities to prevent diseases and check floods, which often destroyed properties.

“This is a collective effort and I, therefore, make a call to all assemblies, traditional leaders, religious organisations, market associations, youth groups and the private sector to fully support and participate in this noble project. Together we can make Greater Accra cleaner and healthier,” she added.

Collaboration

Ms Kudjordji called for strong collaboration among stakeholders within the region to work together to rid the city of filth and promote a healthy environment.

Proper sanitation

The Assembly Member of the Tataana South Electoral Area, Abdul-Jalil Yakubu, urged residents within Madina and the region in general to cultivate a culture of ensuring proper sanitation at all times.