By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, July 23, GNA–The Christian Council of Ghana has intensified its environmental advocacy campaign by engaging students of Wesley Grammar Senior High School in Accra on the importance of environmental care, cleanliness, and civic responsibility.
The outreach, held under the Council’s Environmental Care and Cleanliness (ECC) Programme, formed part of efforts to cultivate environmental consciousness among young people and empower them to become agents of positive change in their communities.
The ECC Programme forms part of the Christian Council of Ghana’s broader efforts to promote environmental sustainability, responsible citizenship, and national development through education and community engagement.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Koku Anyidoho, Communications Adviser to the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana and Founder of the Mills Institute for Public Policy Advocacy and Transformational Leadership Development, underscored the need for a mindset transformation among the youth to promote patriotism, nationalism, and responsible citizenship.
He said protecting the environment was not merely a social obligation but a constitutional duty enshrined in Article 41 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which requires citizens to safeguard and protect the environment.
Mr. Anyidoho noted that increasing environmental degradation and irresponsible human activities posed serious threats to national development and public health.
He advocated the use of the term “ecocide” to describe the deliberate destruction of the environment, arguing that the term better captured the gravity of the damage being inflicted on the country’s natural resources.
“What we are doing to the environment amounts to ecocide. It is the conscious destruction of the environment, and we must all rise to stop it,” he said.
Mr. Anyidoho announced plans to establish Eco Squads and Nation Builders Clubs in schools to serve as platforms for promoting environmental stewardship, civic responsibility, and leadership among students.
He explained that the clubs would function in a manner similar to traditional school clubs and associations, enabling students to champion environmental protection and become role models for their peers.
Rev. Jehoiada Godwin Amuzu, Director of Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations at the Christian Council of Ghana, said the initiative was designed to address the root causes of poor environmental sanitation and cleanliness in the country.
He observed that flooding incidents experienced in parts of the country often resulted from indiscriminate dumping of waste and negative attitudes towards environmental management.
Rev. Amuzu recalled the devastating floods that recently affected many communities, destroying property, disrupting economic activities, and causing loss of lives.
He said while periodic clean-up exercises were important, there was a greater need to transform people’s attitudes and behaviours towards the environment.
“The general attitude of many people towards environmental care and cleanliness remains a challenge. We believe that by engaging students during their formative years, they will grow up with the right values and help build a cleaner society,” he said.
Rev. Amuzu stressed that maintaining a clean environment would contribute significantly to national development by reducing the incidence of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and malaria.
He said a healthy population remained critical to the country’s socio-economic progress and urged students to become ambassadors of environmental cleanliness in their homes and communities.
Responding on behalf of the students, Maste Solomon Agyapong Oppong, Head Prefect of Wesley Grammar Senior High School, expressed appreciation to the Christian Council for the educational session.
He said the programme had deepened students’ understanding of the importance of environmental cleanliness and the consequences of poor sanitation practices.
Master Oppong noted that flooding and environmental degradation often led to the destruction of property and livelihoods and called on young people to take active steps towards keeping their surroundings clean.
He pledged the support of the student body for the environmental campaign and the proposed Eco Squads initiative.
GNA
Reporter: Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong