Sanitation is a national problem, not an NDC or NPP problem – Mahama Ayariga

Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has called on Ghanaians to end partisan attitudes and apathy towards sanitation and take collective responsibility for keeping the country clean.

According to him, the country's current sanitation challenges are a national problem that cannot be solved by any political party or government alone.

He said Ghanaians must change their attitude towards sanitation and translate their values and faith into practical action to restore the country’s environment.

Speaking during a working visit to the Christian Council on Friday, September 4, the Bawku Central MP expressed concern that Ghanaians were now being encouraged to look to Rwanda for lessons on environmental cleanliness.

“Every piece of trash on our streets represents a moment when we forgot who we are. We are Ghanaians. We are trailblazers on this continent. My saddest moment every day is when a young person calls into a radio station programme and says, ‘Go to Rwanda and see.’ And I ask myself, how could Ghanaians ever be referred to go and learn from Rwanda?” he asked.

The Minister said Ghana’s history as one of the leading countries in Africa’s struggle against colonialism should inspire citizens to take greater responsibility for the country’s development.

He said the current sanitation challenge was being worsened by political partisanship, with some citizens viewing national initiatives through the lens of which political party was in power.

He cited instances where citizens allegedly refused to support sanitation initiatives because they associated them with a particular political party.

“The same way, when NPP was in office and trying to fix problems, some NDC members also were standing in the balcony and said, ‘This is an NPP problem.’ It is a national problem. That is why we get elected to fix it. So I want to repeat: let’s clean our hearts of the apathy that has held us back for too long,” he stated.

The Minister urged Ghanaians, particularly religious bodies and community leaders, to support efforts aimed at improving sanitation across the country.