The National Sanitation Day Needs Mental Sanitation to Survive

The first round of the National Sanitation Day was climaxed at the Brong Ahafo region, having travelled all the ten regions of Ghana. This initiative, no doubt is a monumental exercise that shouldn’t be left to die out.  Rather, it should be promoted to ensure that the country rid of filth that is gradually becoming a mental tumor in our country’s quest to remain clean.

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, as well as the good people of Ghana who made time out of their busy schedules to partake in the exercise in this first round should be commended for their unrelenting effort so far.

The National Sanitation Day was initiated at the heels of the outbreak of cholera which claimed so many lives in the country.  Like the proverbial vulture who always decides to build its shed when the rain sets in and forgets thereof when the rain subsides, it is often said that Ghana is quick to react when a disaster strikes but relaxes thereof as soon as the problem is over.  But in this instance, the programme is still ongoing and I pray that it defies this Ghanaian notion.

Several programmes have been launched by successive governments since independence but many of such programmes often experienced a shorter lifespan because of apathy and lack of enforcement.

Although the National Sanitation Day has been largely successful so far, they’ve been many reported news stories about the level of apathy that is gradually lacing its boot to cripple this laudable initiative.

For us to sustain this initiative, fast-forward, the Ministry of Local Gov’t and Rural Development should endeavor to increase public education on the need for people to volunteer their time and energy during this important national exercise. This would convince more people to see the exercise as a national exercise worth sacrificing for rather than a political one.

Government should also consider passing a law that will give a legal arm to the exercise and compel people to actively engage in the exercise. Defaulters of the law should be punished to serve as deterrent to other people. Growing up as a child, there were Sanitary Inspectors who were much dreaded each time they went on an inspection exercise and whipped discipline into people. A law will give a similar force to this exercise.

The Local Gov’t Ministry should also seek private partnership, where private sector workers would also take a front-lead role in the exercise. The ministry could also get sponsorship packages which may come in the form of T-shirts, hand gloves, pick axes, dustbins etc.  Awards scheme could also be instituted to recognize regions and organizations which give massive participation, as well as individuals who dedicate themselves to the exercise.

Media organizations, institutions of higher learning, celebrities and the civil society should take active role during the exercise to conscientise the ordinary citizens that the exercise is a national affair and should be seen as such. If the ordinary citizens see doctors, lawyers, media practitioners, musicians, actor/actresses, etc join the campaign, it will renew ordinary citizen’s spirit of nationalism and dedication which is currently waning in the exercise.

Ghana can only move forward if we eschew apathy, politicization of national issues and sabotage.  We need to imbibe the spirit of volunteerism in the younger generation so that people will learn how to die a little more for our dear nation. As the former US president, John F. Kennedy was famously quoted, “ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country”. God bless our homeland Ghana!

Writer: Abdul-Karim Mohammed Awaf
Service Personnel: Graphic Communication Group Limited
Accra-Ghana