By Edith Atiaka Eshun
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, says plans are underway to ensure that Ghanaians adopt waste segregation and proper waste disposal practices in their daily lives. This, he said, is to help prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases such as cholera, which continue to affect parts of the country.
As part of the initiative, he noted that some recycling equipment has been procured to aid in the recycling of plastic waste and improve sanitation nationwide.
Mr. Ibrahim disclosed this when he led a delegation from the Ministry to engage religious bodies on the reintroduction of the National Sanitation Day.
Initially scheduled to relaunch on April 1, 2025, with the first cleanup exercise on April 5, 2025, the programme was postponed to allow for broader consultations and stakeholder engagement. The goal is to get every individual and institution on board to contribute to a cleaner Ghana.
The delegation visited the Christian Council of Ghana, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and the Southern Ghana Union of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The purpose of the visit was to encourage religious leaders to use the pulpit to mobilize public support for the sanitation initiative.
Mr. Ibrahim announced that May 3, 2025, has been set for the reintroduction of National Sanitation Day, which will be observed on the first Saturday of every month with consistent enforcement.
He emphasized that the days when religious bodies were considered secondary in the decision-making process are over. With the merging of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs with Local Government, he said, figures such as pastors, chiefs, assembly members, district chieftaincy executives, and presiding members will now be included in policy discussions to promote grassroots, participatory, and ethical governance for collective development.
“No one will be left out or given secondary information in this dispensation,” Mr. Ibrahim stressed, adding that the success or failure of policies will impact everyone.
He also noted the serious consequences of poor sanitation on the country, highlighting not just the devastating effects of illegal mining (galamsey) but also the troubling state of sanitation in many communities.
He explained that plastic pollution is damaging agriculture by contaminating soils and affecting crop growth, while fishermen are now catching more plastic waste than fish.
“The National Sanitation Day, launched in 2014, was aimed at ensuring personal and community hygiene. We cleaned our towns and cities, cleared and desilted gutters, and made sure plastics were sent to recycling centres. Back then, our beaches were as clean as those of Togo and even cleaner than those of Benin. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said today,” he lamented.
He called on churches, especially mission schools, to support the Ministry in reviving the culture of cleanliness, stressing that “cleanliness is next to godliness.”
Speaking to GBC Obonu News, the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Madam Rita Odoley Sowah, underscored the need for churches to actively promote the National Sanitation Day from the pulpit. She emphasized that the outbreak of communicable diseases affects everyone, regardless of status or background.
So far, 581 people in 58 districts have been infected with cholera, with 49 recorded deaths, highlighting the urgent need for improved sanitation practices across the country.
