Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), says the success of the re-introduced National Sanitation Day (NSD) hinges on active participation of all and sundry.
He said environmental sanitation was a shared responsibility that required consistent and collective action from individuals, households, communities and institutions.
“It is therefore important for every Ghanaian to take responsibility for cleaning their environment,” he added.
The Minister was speaking at the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day as part of the “Clean Up Ghana” agenda which aims to foster a culture of environmental responsibility, improve public health and enhance the aesthetic beauty of our cities and communities.
The NSD will be observed simultaneously across all 16 regions and 261 districts of Ghana on the first Saturday of every month.
Beyond the cleanup exercises, the campaign will promote behavioural change through public education on waste segregation, re-use, recycling and enforcement of sanitation bye-laws.
Mr. Ibrahim said improper waste disposal, poor drainage management, indiscriminate littering, and weak enforcement of sanitation bye-laws have led to grave consequences including outbreaks of sanitation-related diseases and even led to unfortunate tragic loss of lives.
He said beyond the health hazards, flooding, destruction of infrastructure, the decline in tourism potential, damage to our natural resources and economic setbacks could not be overstated.
Mr. Ibrahim said the NSD back then demonstrated that when citizens, assemblies, traditional leaders, and civil society come together, the communities can be made cleaner and healthier.
The Minister said the re-introduction of the NSD is therefore a renewed social contract between government and citizens, anchored on accountability, enforcement, and sustainability.
He said this would restore discipline and pride in public spaces because a clean environment was a necessity for public health and national dignity.
Mr. Ibrahim said with sanitation now fully integrated as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Metropolitan Municipal District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), assemblies must take ownership and leadership in ensuring sustainable cleanliness.
He said the NSD was therefore a clarion call to all Ghanaians, communities, public institutions, the private sector, and civil society organisations in a united front against unsanitary conditions.
The Minister said the Ministry was also introducing additional accountability measures such as a dedicated sanitation hotline which would be established, enabling citizens to report public cleansing nuisances directly to the Ministry.
He said the reports would be catalogued, verified, and followed up with the relevant assemblies for immediate action.
“The Ministry would maintain a central dashboard to track reports, responses, and performance of assemblies to ensure real-time supervision and national oversight, and that the Assemblies would be required to submit monthly reports on their sanitation activities,” he added.
He said the Ministry counted on the traditional authorities and religious leaders to impress upon their subjects and followers to actively participate in this all-important national activity.
The Minister also called on the media fraternity to continue informing, educating and highlighting sanitation issues and celebrating positive community efforts.
Mr. Ibrahim said the role of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies in enforcing sanitation bye-laws and providing the necessary logistics was crucial, urging district assemblies to intensify their efforts in ensuring compliance of their district bye-laws.
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