By Kingsley Mamore
Kpassa (O/R), Aug. 6, GNA – Mr Joshua Kunjin, the Oti Regional Director of the National Youth Authority (NYA), has urged young people nationwide to champion environmental sanitation, saying their active involvement is critical to building healthier communities and advancing sustainable national development.
He said environmental cleanliness remained a shared civic responsibility that required the collective efforts of government institutions, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and citizens, particularly the youth, who constituted the country’s largest and most energetic population.
Mr Kunjin made the call during a community clean-up exercise at Kpassa in the Nkwanta North District of the Oti Region, as part of activities marking the 2026 National Youth Month Celebration and the National Sanitation Day initiative.
The exercise attracted officials from the National Youth Authority and Nkwanta North District Assembly, as well as environmental health officers, security personnel, youth groups, students, apprentices, market women, traditional authorities and community members, who desilted drains, swept streets, cleared refuse dumps and cleaned markets and other public places.
Addressing participants after the exercise, Mr Kunjin said environmental sanitation was not only essential for maintaining clean surroundings but also for preventing disease outbreaks, safeguarding public health and improving the socio-economic wellbeing of communities.
He observed that poor sanitation continued to contribute significantly to the spread of communicable diseases, environmental pollution and flooding, adding that sustained community participation was indispensable in addressing such challenges.
“The responsibility of protecting our environment does not rest with government alone. Every Ghanaian has a role to play, particularly the youth, whose energy and commitment can transform our communities into cleaner, healthier and more attractive places to live,” he stated.
Mr Kunjin called on young people to embrace volunteerism by participating in regular communal labour, educating their peers on proper waste management practices and discouraging indiscriminate littering and illegal dumping of refuse.
He said the National Youth Month Celebration offered an opportunity to harness the creativity, innovation and volunteer spirit of young people towards national development, environmental conservation and responsible citizenship.
The Regional Director further appealed to residents to cultivate the habit of maintaining cleanliness every day rather than limiting sanitation efforts to designated clean-up exercises.
He encouraged households, institutions, traders and transport operators to make environmental cleanliness a daily responsibility, stressing that sustained behavioural change remained the most effective strategy for achieving lasting improvements in sanitation.
Mr Isaiah Kudjoe Dordoe, the District Chief Executive for Nkwanta North (DCE), commended the National Youth Authority for spearheading the initiative and described the collaboration between the Assembly and the Authority as a practical demonstration of community partnership for development.
He said the Assembly remained committed to improving sanitation across the district through intensified public education, regular clean-up campaigns and strict enforcement of environmental sanitation by-laws.
The DCE disclosed that the Assembly would strengthen collaboration with Environmental Health Officers, traditional authorities, opinion leaders and community volunteers to ensure compliance with sanitation regulations and promote responsible waste management practices.
He warned that the Assembly would not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against individuals and institutions whose actions undermined efforts to keep the district clean.
Mr Dordoe urged students, artisans, traders and community members to continue participating in communal labour, noting that environmental cleanliness was indispensable for disease prevention, tourism promotion and local economic growth.
Some residents who participated in the exercise expressed appreciation to the organisers for mobilising the community and creating awareness on environmental hygiene.
They pledged to sustain the initiative through regular communal labour and appealed for the provision of additional waste containers and improved refuse collection services to support sanitation efforts within the district.
The National Youth Month Celebration is observed annually to promote volunteerism, patriotism, leadership, civic responsibility and youth participation in national development through community-based initiatives, environmental campaigns and public education activities across the country.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo