The Environmental Cleanliness And Infrastructural Maintenance Culture On University of Ghana Campus Is Commendable

The University of Ghana (UG), Legon is apparently adhering to the lyrics of its anthem. There are good lessons to learn from the University’s anthem. The lyrics of the anthem are reproduced below.

1. Hail University of Ghana

The nation’s hope and glory
The place that bears the star of peace
That bids us all to do our best
Let the great Tower of learning
Inspire both young and old
May we proceed in unity to uphold the public cause.

//: Arise, arise O Legon Defend the cause of freedom Proceed in truth and integrity to make our nation proud ://

2. We ask for strength and wisdom

As we climb the hill of learning
May we excel in what’er we do
As we prepare to face the world
With a mind ready at all times
And a conscience quick to feel
May we proceed in unity to uphold the public cause.

//: Arise, arise O Legon Defend the cause of freedom Proceed in truth and integrity to make our nation proud ://

True to the foregoing lyrics composed for the University by the late Prof. J.H. Kwabena Nketia, the University Management has made several recognizable efforts in sustaining the UG as the nation’s hope and glory in terms of how clean the physical environment of the University has been over the years. In consonance with the lyrics of the University’s anthem, the UG is indeed a star that bids us all the people of Ghana to do our best not only by climbing the academic ladder but also keeping our surroundings clean as well as emulating the UG’s planned preventive maintenance culture.

Since 1948 when it was established, the University of Ghana has maintained white painting on its walls with brownish roofing tiles to match. In our dusty tropical setting, it is never cheap to keep white painted walls for over seven (7) decades. However, the UG Management in general and the maintenance department in particular have done so and it is quite commendable. Indeed, UG is an institution that bids us to do our best and to excel in whatever we do so that we can uphold the public cause in unity.

In the area of good environmental hygiene, the UG has planted many Mahogany and other trees along its avenues and these trees shed many leaves especially in the dry season thereby making large tons of debris on the ground. However, the University sees to the collection of these dried leaves along its avenues. Workers are often seen collecting the dried leaves in plastic bin liners. Walking or driving through campus, one would observe that the UG environment or campus is so neat and maintenance of the buildings has not been left to chances at all. Perhaps the nation as a whole must be inspired by the UG culture in terms of keeping our environment clean and taking maintenance seriously.

A country that craves to make its national capital (Accra) as the cleanest city in Africa should not look any further for inspiration. This is because such an inspiration resides in the University of Ghana, a tertiary academic institution that has trained most of the educated and political class in Ghana and continuously bids all and sundry to excel in whatever they do with a mind ready at all times and a conscience quick to feel.

Let us emulate the UG and uphold the public cause in terms of environmental sanitation and sound maintenance culture. The public cause the UG sermonizes is that which will make the nation excel sustainably and develop truly beyond aid. A cause that will add economic independence as a reality to our political independence that we had 63 years ago. With a mind ready at all times and a conscience quick to feel therefore, we must follow the UG example and keep our physical environment and for that matter our surroundings clean. We must as well maintain our physical infrastructures routinely and carry out repairs when necessary. We can only ask for strength and wisdom from the Lord God to do so. Hail University of Ghana, the nation’s hope and glory.

~Asante Sana ~
Author: Philip Afeti Korto.
Email: [email protected]