The Chairman and Founder of Atidefe Foundation, Hon. Thomas Yao Atidefe officially attended the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day (NSD) as part of his effort to contribute to Nationalism and Patriotism.
According to him, the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day which is aimed at keeping Ghana Clean by restoring discipline and empowering local and traditional authorities, is a good call by the government. “We must all respond and support this national call by the President”.
The government has encouraged all MMDAs to prioritize desilting of drains, removal of refuse heaps, cleaning of markets, lorry parks, schools, and major roads and routes in their jurisdictions.
In an address by His Excellency the President John Dramani Mahama during the event, the National Sanitation Day would be used as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), and foster citizen participation and accountability.
“I have ordered eighty percent (80%) release of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to all MMDAs to enable them function properly and therefore no MMDCE should give an excuse for lack of funds to carry out such activities” the President said.
To sustain compliance, Assemblies were to mobilise environmental health officers, waste management contractors, and community volunteers as well as submit monthly sanitation reports to their Regional Coordinating Councils for onward submission to the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
MMDCE who do not comply with sanitation bylaws and even allow construction of structures on water ways and unapproved areas would be sanctioned severely. Such punishment could be removal from office as the MMDCE.
Those MMDAs who would maintain cleanest environment in their jurisdictions shall be awarded from next year.
“Sanitation will now be a key performance indicator (KPI) for all MMDCEs and their performance as District Chief Executives will be judged directly on their results in cleanliness”, the Minister for Local Government Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim) said.
He pointed out that the NSD, when complied with could lead to transformation of communities.
According to Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, Minister for LGCRA, the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day is a renewed social contract between government and citizens, anchored on enforcement, accountability and sustainability.
In an interview with Hon. Thomas Yao Atidefe, “We must make Ghana clean, a dirty environment means we would always send people to the hospital. We should put in much effort to make our environment clean”.
In short statement by Madam Happy Darrah, Secretary to the Atidefe Foundation, we must uphold virtues of cleanliness. Modernization does not mean leaving our environment dirty; as cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Some dignitaries present at the event were the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, Hon. Lawyer George Opare Addo, Hon. Gizzella Tetteh Agbotui, Deputy Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Hon. James Gunu, Volta Regional Minister, Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nana Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, President of National House of Chiefs, Nii Takie Teiko Tsuru II, President of the Ga Traditional Council, Madam Akosua Agyepong and many others.
