Cleanliness Is Next To Development

acknowledges the source of the picture

It’s been a widespread saying that “cleanliness is next to godliness”. If this assertion is true then why do African and for that matter Ghanaian cities look so dirty even though we seem to be religious? The issue of cleanliness is another plague that is killing our dignity and progress as a country. We can never achieve socio-economic development when we still have to spend huge sums of money on filth in our surroundings. We cannot develop when the working force is affected by cholera and Malaria. We cannot develop when our health budgets outgrow our production, Research and Development budgets etc. The enquiry “is cleanliness something the Blackman or Ghanaian cannot handle”?

Looking little back into life tells us that our villages used to have days for cleaning the whole community, empirical evidences also prove to date that, our rural areas look more hygienic than the urban centres. Ironically, it is a common practice for one living in the rural area to be charge by district town council officer for keeping his or her environment unclean. However, our major cities especially some parts of Accra and Kumasi, dirt is what has been the beautification garget for the cities. Are there no city councils officers and planners, are there no laws or are there no policies regarding health issues?

To every smoke there is fire, the Ghanaian society and community orientation was taught on the basis of sweeping rubbish more than not throwing rubbish at all. The mentality is that when a place is dirty we will clean or sweep and this has been the culture from our basic schools to upper levels. However, the antidote for this should be culture orientations where the people will understand the need to not even litter around and for that matter think about cleaning when it’s dirty. This is a task which must be done at schools, churches, public and private organisations, including communities and cities.

What is more, the Ghanaian laws on keeping our environment save and clean seem to work only on occasions and at some particular areas. In as much as the national cleaning day is good it however ends in unproductive efforts such that even when the rubbishes are gathered they are at times left on top of gutters for days or until the next cleaning day. Beside people will continue to litter around until the next cleaning day. Our effort does not match the result that comes out of the national cleaning day. The government must invest deep into recycling of waste so that we can equally benefits from the numerous inhospitable surroundings. Investor should be encourage and welcome into this areas so that it becomes attractive for business and help solve our health issues.

Patriotically the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) which is a government agency in Ghana, responsible for the education of Ghanaians on civic matters has failed in its mandate since the commission was established by the Act 452 of the Parliament of Ghana in 1993. They only seem to be noticed when there is time for election. However, nothing or little is seemed to be done on educating Ghanaians on keeping the environment save. Youth associations and pressure groups can be form at schools, churches, communicate to regularly engage in cleaning issues. The various Municipalities, districts Assemblies, and communities must engage the NCCE in its programmes throughout the year.

Ideally, it’s a hard Ghanaian culture to walk within certain meters and see dust bins available. This has also contributed to the huge dirt on our environment. Beside the higher prices being charge at places where refuse dumps are being collected also needs to be taken into considerations. The monies that government spends on fighting malaria and cholera can be used to prevent it happenings. We only need to empower our institutions to work to the task. We need strong institutions which will ensure rules are obeyed and things that will help the citizens conform to rules and norms are also available. It is obvious that even with dustbin provision yet people will litter around however with time people will get use to it when the institutions are working strongly. Leaders, chiefs, opinion leaders of various orgainsations should lead this campaign.We can set a maximum of two years campign to slolve this issue among us.

This is a call for us all as Ghanaians and citizens of other countries living in Ghana to come together and help solve this plague in our environment as the consequences of it has resulted in the death of many lives and huge government spending . According to National Disaster Management Organisation; Cholera Outbreak which happened in Greater Accra and Central Regions (GAR-38, CR-79): a total of 117 people died. An amount of one hundred and fifty million cedis (¢150m=GH¢15,000) was spent on the management and control of the epidemic and the procurement of tents.( http://nadmo.gov.gh/index.php/20-disaster-profile).

Is this what we look out for as a nation or something better in development? A word to the wise is enough.

Arhin Ishmael
Dokuz Eylul University
izmir- Turkey