Kpassa: Mr. Isaiah Kudjoe Dordoe, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Nkwanta North, collaborated with the Oti Regional Directorate of the National Youth Authority (NYA), youth volunteers, and local residents in a clean-up initiative at the Kpassa New Market to enhance environmental sanitation and civic responsibility.
According to Ghana News Agency, the exercise, conducted on Saturday, was part of the 2026 National Youth Month celebrations and the observance of National Sanitation Day (NSD). The event gathered numerous young people, market women, assembly members, opinion leaders, and residents who collectively worked to desilt drains, sweep the market, clear refuse, and remove weeds from the surroundings to improve sanitation and public health.
The initiative aimed to promote community involvement in maintaining a clean environment while emphasizing the vital role of young people in shared responsibility. It urged students, apprentices, traders, and all residents to actively partake in future communal labor exercises for national development and environmental stewardship.
Addressing the participants post-exercise, Mr. Dordoe praised the National Youth Authority for effectively combining the National Youth Month Celebration with National Sanitation Day, labeling the initiative as timely and beneficial for the district. He highlighted that environmental cleanliness is crucial for disease prevention, public health improvement, and creating a safe and attractive environment for economic activities.
Mr. Dordoe revealed that the Nkwanta North District Assembly is finalizing measures to enhance sanitation regulation enforcement through the introduction of district sanitation by-laws. He stated that the Assembly would strictly enforce these by-laws to ensure greater compliance and sanction individuals who refuse to partake in communal clean-up exercises or engage in practices that undermine environmental sanitation.
He reassured residents of the Assembly's commitment to improving waste management and fostering healthier communities through sustained sanitation campaigns and public education. He urged residents to support the Assembly's efforts by properly disposing of waste, keeping their surroundings clean, and supporting environmental protection initiatives.
Mr. Joshua Kunjin, the Oti Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, expressed satisfaction with the participation level despite limited publicity ahead of the event. He commended the youth and residents for their commitment to community service and environmental cleanliness, viewing their enthusiasm as a positive sign of growing awareness of sanitation issues.
Mr. Kunjin emphasized that poor sanitation remains a significant public health challenge and urged residents to make cleanliness a daily habit rather than confining it to organized clean-up campaigns. He encouraged communities to continue supporting sanitation initiatives and announced plans to expand future clean-up exercises under the National Youth Month celebration for greater regional participation.
'The turnout today has been very encouraging, considering the short notice. This demonstrates that our young people are willing to volunteer for community development when given the opportunity. We expect the next exercise to be bigger and more impactful,' he said.
Participants expressed gratitude to the National Youth Authority and the District Assembly for organizing the exercise and pledged continued support for future sanitation activities to make Kpassa cleaner and healthier for all.