BEKWAI MP OPOKU ADUSEI CALLS FOR LONG-TERM SANITATION MEASURES BEYOND TWO-DAY CLEAN-UP EXERCISE

The Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Hon. Ralph Opoku Adusei, has called on the Government of Ghana to adopt long-term sanitation strategies, arguing that the recently announced two-day national clean-up exercise alone will not adequately address the country's sanitation challenges. The government's initiative, which designated July 10 and 11 as general clean-up days in seven regions affected by the recent floods, is aimed at improving sanitation and reducing the risk of disease outbreaks in the aftermath of the disaster. Speaking in an interview, Hon. Opoku Adusei described the clean-up exercise as a positive initiative but stressed that it should not be regarded as a one-off solution to Ghana's persistent waste management problems. According to the Bekwai MP, while periodic clean-up campaigns are important, sustainable improvements in sanitation require continuous investment in waste management systems. He argued that allocating resources to a two-day exercise without implementing long-term sanitation policies would have only a limited impact. Hon. Opoku Adusei therefore urged the government to renew the contracts of waste management service providers to ensure regular refuse collection and uninterrupted sanitation services across the country. He maintained that strengthening waste management operations and adopting consistent sanitation measures would be more effective in promoting a cleaner environment than relying solely on occasional clean-up exercises. He concluded by calling for a comprehensive national sanitation policy that prioritises preventive waste management and encourages cleanliness as a continuous civic responsibility rather than an emergency response.