Dzagbele Matilda Asante: From Gold Coast Students Union Secretary to Eco-Conscious Citizens Member - Activism Continues

Today marks the 95^th birthday of Dzagbele Matilda Asante, an indigene of La, Accra, who was born in 1927 in the then Gold Coast.

Earlier this month, the widow of the late Ghanaian diplomat and statesman K.B. Asante, joined residents, concerned citizens and environmentalists, to directly make their concerns known to the management of LaDMA (La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly).

Among the concerns of the group led by Eco-Conscious Citizens was the issue of noise pollution within the municipality. Before leaving the meeting, the senior citizen made a heartfelt plea, which was captured on video here :

“I've made the effort to come. I'm an elderly person. I live in the area and worked when I was young. And now at the time when I must be resting, I can't rest because of the noise, noise, noise. And I hope you can do something about it.”

Sadly, the prospects of seeing LaDMA doing something soon about curbing the noise pollution in Mrs Asante's area, so that she can fully enjoy her twilight years, look bleak. The Assembly now boasts of having noise meters and having trained its officers in its use. However, useful as it is, noise meters are not mandatory in successfully prosecuting noise cases.

Also, the complaints formally lodged with LaDMA at the meeting have yet to be responded to, contrary to the charter that governs how Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) deal with stakeholders. Whilst an assurance to re-convene a meeting with the Assembly's senior leadership is still outstanding.

It is not surprising that Mrs Asante continues to engage in environmental campaigns, including lending her voice to the coalition of environmentalists who on Green Ghana Day last June, advocated for the President's Executive Instrument to re-zone parts of Achimota Forest Reserve, to be rescinded. This forest has been described as “the lungs” of the ever expanding Accra capital city.

Mrs Asante was active in her student days studying nursing in the 1940s/50s in the UK, where she was Secretary of the Gold Coast Students Union and met her then future husband Akora KB Asante, who was the President of the Union.

In her 95th year, she is still active. She attends church services and fellowship meetings by Zoom and in person.

She also does her best to obey God's command to take care of the environment and is a member of the environmental group Eco-Conscious Citizens. She has been involved in campaigns to protect Parks and Gardens lands from being built on and to protect other threatened areas, such as bauxite mining in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve. She continues to campaign against noise pollution.

Ayekoo

Awula Serwah

Eco-Conscious Citizens coordinator

[email protected]

https://Linktr.ee/EcoConsciousCitizens