In a show of support for the reintroduction of the National Sanitation Day (NSD), Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has underscored the urgent need for robust legal frameworks and effective enforcement mechanisms to address Ghana’s sanitation challenges. He pointed to the deteriorating state of landfill sites across Accra and the recurrent cholera outbreaks as indicators of systemic failure in waste management and public health governance.
The Ga Mantse made these remarks when the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, paid a courtesy call on him on Wednesday, April 16, as part of a broader engagement with leaders of the clergy and traditional institutions ahead of the official reintroduction of NSD in May.
He reaffirmed his readiness to partner with the Ministry to drive the sanitation agenda and highlighted grassroots initiatives like the Pre-Homowo Cleanup Exercise as proven models of community-led action. According to the Ga Mantse, such interventions demonstrate the power of local mobilisation in effecting lasting environmental change.
The upcoming National Sanitation Day initiative, spearheaded by Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, aims to instill a nationwide culture of cleanliness, curb sanitation-related diseases such as cholera, and promote environmental stewardship. In his engagements with faith-based and traditional leaders, the Minister emphasised that poor waste management practices are not only degrading the environment but are also contributing to major public health crises. A recent cholera outbreak, he noted, has affected 58 districts, leading to 49 deaths and over 580 reported cases.
The Minister announced that the initiative would feature a “Sanitation League,” which will assess and rank the performance of districts based on their cleanliness. Top-performing districts will be recognised and rewarded, while those underperforming may face sanctions. He also indicated that enforcement of sanitation by-laws would be prioritised at the local level through collaboration with Municipal and District Assemblies.
“We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results,” the Minister stressed. He called on all Ghanaians to adopt responsible sanitation practices and support the government’s renewed effort to create cleaner, healthier communities.
Source: Matilda Tettey/Sandra Owusu Asamoah
(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)