Mr. Wisdom Seade, the Keta Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has urged residents of the municipality to adopt the spirit of cleanup exercise and make it a daily responsibility for a healthy life.
According to him, maintaining good sanitation was crucial for the health and well-being of individuals and the community as a whole.
Mr. Seade, in a speech delivered during a sanitation day launch at Anlo-Aadenyigba, stated that a clean environment was essential for preventing the spread of communicable diseases.
Poor sanitation, on the other hand, could lead to the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid fever, which may be life-threatening to humans untreated.
“Good sanitation is a responsibility of everyone, regardless of age, occupation, or social status and all individual, household, and institution has a role to play in maintaining good sanitation practices,” he said.
He explained that there were several ways to maintain good sanitation which include proper disposal of waste, regular cleaning of surroundings, and proper use of toilet facilities.
He charged communities to practice constants and regular communal clean-up exercises and report cases of poor sanitation to the authorities.
Mr. Seade said that good sanitation has numerous benets, including improved health, increased productivity, and a cleaner environment which also enhances the aesthetic appeal of communities and promotes tourism.
The MCE appealed to chiefs, opinion leaders, stakeholders, heads of institutions, assembly members and the public to support the clean-up initiative and take ownership of their environment and work together to maintain good sanitation practices.
“Community involvement in this initiative is very crucial in promoting good sanitation, and we must participate in the clean-up and educate our neighbours on the importance of good sanitation.”
Mr. Seade urged individuals and groups in the various communities to abide by the Assembly’s by-laws and partake in regular communal labour to avoid any punishment from the authorities.
He said the Chief; community leaders and the zonal councils would spearhead the clean-up exercise initiative and bring to book all those who would not participate in communal labour to face the full rigours of the law.
He said the idea for the government to merged Local Governance Ministry, Chieftaincy Ministry and Religious Affairs Ministry was to give power and authorities to the immediate leaders to help champion developments in various communities which needed collaborative work.
Togbi Kadzahlo Drabese IV, Dua and the Paramount Chief of Anlo-Aadenyigba, who also witnessed the exercise, welcomed the clean-up initiative and urged all to abide by the rules and regulations to maintain good sanitation in the areas.
He said Anlo-Aadenyigba and other communities in the Keta Municipality has been noted for maintaining good sanitation and clean environment which called for recognition and support.
Mr. Gabriel Kuatsikor, the assembly member of the area, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, expressed excitement over the exercise.
He urged other institutions such as schools, hospitals, and markets to play a critical role in maintaining a good environment to ensure that their premises are clean and well-maintained, and that all waste products were disposed of properly.
Some other participant GNA engaged also expressed satisfaction about the exercise and appealed to authorities to help the communities with adequate tools such as brooms, rakes, dustbins, among others for the clean-up exercise.
Meanwhile, the MCE has donated Wollaston boots, wheelbarrow, cutlasses, and others to the community for the subsequent exercise while the sanitation day was observed all over the various communities in the municipality.
GNA
