Kpassa: Mr Joshua Kunjin, the Oti Regional Director of the National Youth Authority (NYA), has called on young people across Ghana to take a leading role in promoting environmental sanitation. He emphasized that their active involvement is essential for building healthier communities and advancing sustainable national development.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Kunjin highlighted that maintaining environmental cleanliness is a shared civic responsibility requiring the collective efforts of government institutions, traditional authorities, civil society organizations, and citizens. He noted that the youth, representing the country's largest and most energetic population, are particularly crucial in this endeavor. His remarks came during a community clean-up exercise in Kpassa, part of the 2026 National Youth Month Celebration and the National Sanitation Day initiative.
The event saw participation from officials of the National Youth Authority, Nkwanta North District Assembly, environmental health officers, security personnel, youth groups, students, apprentices, market women, traditional authorities, and community members. Together, they desilted drains, swept streets, cleared refuse dumps, and cleaned markets and other public places. Mr Kunjin, addressing the participants post-exercise, stressed that environmental sanitation is vital not only for maintaining clean surroundings but also for preventing disease outbreaks, safeguarding public health, and improving the socio-economic wellbeing of communities.
He pointed out that poor sanitation significantly contributes to the spread of communicable diseases, environmental pollution, and flooding, underscoring the need for sustained community participation to tackle these 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 encouraged young people to embrace volunteerism through regular communal labor, educate peers on proper waste management practices, and discourage indiscriminate littering and illegal dumping of refuse. He highlighted that the National Youth Month Celebration serves as an opportunity to harness the creativity, innovation, and volunteer spirit of young people towards national development and environmental conservation.
The Regional Director urged residents to cultivate a habit of maintaining cleanliness daily, rather than confining sanitation efforts to designated clean-up exercises. He appealed to households, institutions, traders, and transport operators to take environmental cleanliness as a daily responsibility, emphasizing that sustained behavioral change is the most effective strategy for lasting improvements in sanitation.
Mr Isaiah Kudjoe Dordoe, the District Chief Executive for Nkwanta North, commended the National Youth Authority for spearheading the initiative, describing the collaboration between the Assembly and the Authority as a practical demonstration of community partnership for development. He affirmed the Assembly's commitment to improving sanitation across the district through intensified public education, regular clean-up campaigns, and strict enforcement of environmental sanitation by-laws.
The DCE revealed that the Assembly would enhance 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 appropriate sanctions would be applied against individuals and institutions undermining efforts to keep the district clean.
Mr Dordoe encouraged students, artisans, traders, and community members to continue participating in communal labor, noting that environmental cleanliness is crucial for disease prevention, tourism promotion, and local economic growth. Residents who participated in the exercise expressed appreciation to the organizers for mobilizing the community and raising awareness on environmental hygiene, pledging to sustain the initiative through regular communal labor. They also appealed for additional waste containers and improved refuse collection services to support sanitation efforts within the district.
The National Youth Month Celebration is an annual observance aimed at promoting volunteerism, patriotism, leadership, civic responsibility, and youth participation in national development through community-based initiatives, environmental campaigns, and public education activities across the country.