The National Service Scheme (NSS), La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA), Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and Zoomlion have embarked on an unprecented clean up excercise within three municipalities of the Greater Accra Region.
This promise was fulfilled on Friday December 8, 2023, during a cooperative cleanup effort at the municipalities of La Da-Kotopon, Ledzokuku, and Ashaiman.
As part of NSS’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the event fulfilled several objectives. It attempted to improve LaDMA’s general sanitation conditions in addition to strengthening ties between the military and the civilian population. A free medical health check was held in the wake of the cleanup effort, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive approach to community well-being.
Speaking after the cleanup exercise at the forecourt of the La Trade Fair, the Executive Director of the NSS, Osei Assibey Antwi, expressed his dedication to ensuring the success of this initiative.
He applauded the National Service Personnel Association’s (NASPA) efforts as well as the community’s exceptional dedication to upholding cleanliness. He complimented the community members for their enthusiastic engagement and commitment to their joint effort to maintain the cleanliness of the city.
Following the cleanup operation at the La Trade Fair forecourt, Osei Assibey Antwi, the Executive Director of the NSS, spoke and reaffirmed his commitment to seeing this programme through to completion.
He praised the National Service Personnel Association’s (NASPA) efforts as well as the community’s exceptional dedication to upholding cleanliness. He complimented the community members for their enthusiastic engagement and commitment to their joint effort to maintain the cleanliness of the city.
“Going round for the cleanup exercise, the NASPA did well, and the community participation and commitment I saw in them for keeping the city clean was wonderful,” he said. Reminding them that Ghana had made an investment in their education, he urged them to return the favour by improving the welfare of the country.
Filth free city
According to Mr. Assibey Antwi, President Akufo-Addo’s vision challenged all Ghanaians, including NSPs, to assume accountable responsibilities in ensuring that Accra is turned into a secure and clean city.
He noted that the President’s goal goes beyond what the Sanitation Ministry does and calls on all Ghanaians to actively contribute to the safety and cleanliness of Accra. These people include graduates, the Ghana Armed Forces, Municipal Chief Executives (MCEs), NSS staff, and other stakeholders.
Since the President is the nation’s leader, all Ghanaians not only the Sanitation Ministry must rise to the challenge of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa. All parties involved, including the Ghanaian Armed Forces, the NSS, and the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), have responsibilities. As citizens, we all have a part to play in realising the goal. To succeed, we need the public’s support,” the NSS Executive Director hinted.
He urged NSS persons to take on the role of change agents by using their partnership with the Military to spark constructive changes in their local communities.
In addition, he saw the cooperative cleanliness effort turning into a monthly ritual and had plans for possible quarterly projects. Drawing on his background as a former mayor, he emphasised the importance of ongoing community-wide efforts to maintain good relations.
With the goal of bringing about a citywide revolution, Mr. Assibey Antwi suggested designating particular days for community-wide teaching on the value of cleanliness.
“I hope that next year, through this colloboration, 3 days will be set aside to be observed as cleaning period to enter community to community, house to house to provide the education on why it is important to keep our surroundings clean and embrace cleanliness,” he stated.
The Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, the Chief of Staff (CDS), reaffirmed the Ghana Armed Forces’ (GAF) unshakable commitment to cooperative efforts aimed at preserving a pristine environment.
Vice Admiral Amoama expressed gratitude on behalf of the President, the Ministry of Defence, and the Military High Command for the cleanup initiative’s overall success. In accordance with the President’s goal of Accra becoming the cleanest city, he highlighted the need of realising and appreciating the value of environmental cleanliness.
He said with optimism, “Maybe we should have started this exercise long ago, but today we’ve all come together, we say, it is better late than never,” highlighting his hope that the activity may be continued and done on a monthly basis.
The crucial part that every citizen plays in the process of transformation was emphasised by the Executive Director of NSS. His statement that “the success of the vision hinged on the collaboration and support of the entire populace” urged cooperation.
The CDS extended congratulations to both the past and present executives of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and all National Service Personnel (NSP) for their exceptional service to Ghana. He disclosed ongoing discussions with the NSS Director on enhancing collaboration between NSS and GAF, stressing the potential for significant national development.
He emphasised the possibility of tackling food security via cooperative efforts and stated that he was willing to engage in agriculture on a significant scale. He went on to say that he intended to set up a programme that would teach young people military discipline.
The CDS underscored the significance of cultivating amicable neighbourly relations between Ashaiman, Ledzekuku, and LaDMA communities. While acknowledging the sporadic altercations, he called for cooperation through cleanliness projects in the sake of communal growth. Vice Admiral Amoama also urged every GAF garrison to show their support for a cleaner and more peaceful environment by actively taking part in the cleanup operation the following year.
For his part, the MCE of LA Dade-Kotopon, Solomon Kotey Nikoi, commended the collaborative spirit that contributed to the success of the cleanup exercise. He recognized the vital role played by each partner and expressed optimism about the positive impact on the community.
He also stressed the necessity of ongoing cleanup operations in order to maintain the degree of environmental cleanliness attained. In order to provide a better and healthier living environment for the people of La Dade-Kotopon and beyond, he recognised the importance of such activities.
