By Emmanuel Gamson
Takoradi, June 11, GNA – The Wassa Amenfi Central District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Western Region has urged students to actively participate in activities that will help conserve and protect the environment from destruction.
Mr Anthony Kelvin Amoo, the Wassa Amenfi Central District Director of the NCCE, who made the call said as future leaders, the 1992 Constitution mandated them as citizens to lead the charge to safeguard the environment through various initiatives to make it conducive for both human and animal lives.
He said this when the Wassa Amenfi Central District Assembly in collaboration with the NCCE engaged students from five schools within the district to sensitise them on the need to collectively protect the environment.
The engagement, which was held to mark this year’s World Environment Day, was on the theme: “Our environment, our health” with the sub-theme: “Our land, Our future.”
The schools engaged were Ko’ Blay Memorial Educational Centre, Oxford Preparatory School, Manso Amenfi D/A Basic School, Roman Catholic Basic School, and Calvary Methodist Basic School.
Mr Amoo noted that human activities, especially illegal mining popularly known as “galamsey” was rampant in the area, and that the menace contributed to the destruction of the country’s vegetative cover.
“We are engaging the students to let them know the critical roles they can play to champion the campaign against activities like galamsey that continues to destroy our environment, giving rise to climate change issues,” he stated.
Mr Robert Opuni Mensah, Wassa Amenfi Central District Environmental Health Officer, said illegal mining, deforestation, and indiscriminate disposal of waste among other human activities had dire consequences on the environment and the health of citizens.
He said protecting the environment from those activities was a shared responsibility, therefore, the students should join forces and lead awareness creation on the need to make the environment safe for all.
Mr Emmanuel Boateng, the Wassa Amenfi Central District Coordinating Director, said it was the duty of the students to take keen interest in promoting initiatives meant to conserve and protect the environment from degradation.
Officials from the District Assembly and the NCCE led the students to plant trees as part of the World Environment Day celebration.
Meanwhile, in another development, some selected students from Manso Amenfi Senior High School and Manso Amenfi Technical Institute, led by the NCCE, were invited to observe proceedings at a General Assembly meeting at the District Assembly.
It was to enable them to appreciate the work of the Assembly and the role they could play as citizens to contribute towards the development of their respective communities.
GNA