"Sunyani", the capital of the Brong-Ahafo
Region, over the years was voted as the cleanest city in Ghana by the
Ghana Tourist Board.
During the Award giving ceremony, the citation
said "this cleanliness and freshness of the
sights and sounds of this city makes it the
toast of many a visitor to the Brong-Ahafo
region". It continues to employ effective
sustainable waste disposal and traffic
management practices."
Can we still say same about Sunyani today?
The answer to this question is a big no because Sunyani is gradually
losing it's reputation as the cleanest city in Ghana.
My visibility checks in some parts of the city: [Penkwase, New Dormaa,
New Town, Estate, The Zongo community, Area 1 to 4 and the Bosoma
market] clearly indicates that filth is gradually taking over Sunyani.
And it's as a result of the littering habits of Ghanaians.
If we, as a country, accept this reality, then a
solution must be found to it by educating the
public about the need to keep clean environments and stop littering the streets.
Although the MCE, Hon. Kwasi Oppong Ababio once said "to maintain
cleanliness in the Municipality, the Assembly would soon come out with
byelaws to instruct all shops and store owners to place dustbins in
front of their shops and stores."
But as at now nothing of that sought has been made.
Clearly, the government must work on the
mental focus of the people because that is the
only way the country can ensure clean
environments. To achieve this, I suggest that
the various assemblies or local authorities
liaise with the radio stations which can break
the illiteracy barrier, to consistently educate
the public about the need to keep clean
environments. For instance, the radio stations
can use part of their morning show
programmes to appeal to the conscience of the
people to stop littering the streets and stuffing
gutters with garbage.
The recycling of plastic and other waste
could generate a lot of employment. Also
another alternative is to outsource garbage
collection to private contractors as it may be
cheaper and efficient. However, contracts
should be awarded to contractors on merit in
terms of their expertise and capacity. For
example, Zoom Lion is one such contractor
doing a commendable job yet they lack
capacity. The question is,`does it have the
equipment, trucks and technical know-how to
deal with the mammoth task of garbage
collection and waste disposal in the city?
BY: KOFI OPPONG KYEKYEKU (K.O.K)
