Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been urged to monitor and enforce bye-laws in their communities towards an integrated development programme to improve livelihoods and create wealth.
They have also been asked to intensify their commitment, dedication and determination to ensure effective, efficient and sustained education, create awareness and sensitisation within their jurisdiction so as to change residents' behaviour.
Obeng Fosu, a Director at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, made the call at Akweteman in the Okaikoi North Municipality of the Greater Accra Region during a fourhour clean-up exercise to intensify sanitation awareness within the area.
It was organised by the Okaikoi North Municipal Assembly, which formed part of the environmental cleanliness campaign of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.
Mr Obeng charged MMDAs not to relent on their mandate to ensure environmental cleanliness within their jurisdiction to reduce health bill of the government and also should not shirk their responsibility to residents since there was a price to pay.
According to him, the MMDAs should monitor sanitation issues in communities within their jurisdictions while enforcing the bye-laws to ensure healthy environment, intensify their commitment, dedication and determination towards effective, efficient and sustained hygiene education, sensitisation and creation of awareness to change people's behaviour and attitudes to maintain good sanitary conditions.
"It is important for members of communities to prioritise environmental cleanliness to enhance health since it is time everyone rose and took up the responsibility to ensure clean environment and the Ministry will provide modern equipment under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Programme for the assemblies to deliver on their sanitation enforcement mandate.
"We came together as a team to participate in the exercise, it is refreshing to see the streets and drains clean to attract people into our communities to help us improve livelihoods and create wealth because good health is not a state of complete emotional and physical well-being alone but clean environment and quality air to enhance our capabilities to keep diseases at bay," Mr Obeng noted.
He lamented over the negative effects of a polluted environment which could not be over-stated and admonished all residents to prioritise their health needs and keep their surroundings clean.
