Funerals Overshadow National Sanitation Day In Ashanti Region

The organisation of funerals in many communities in the Ashanti Region has overshadowed the National Sanitation Day (NSD). Most communities in the region organise funerals either on the first or last Saturday of the month and the day coincides with the NSD which also takes place on the first Saturday of every month. Residents, therefore, have to choose among funerals, wedding ceremonies, engagements, other programmes and the sanitation exercise. This coincidence, if not dealt with, will continue to affect subsequent clean-up exercises, leading to low patronage or outright rejection, since it will be very difficult for someone to be prosecuted for non-participation. Children This played up vividly at last Saturday�s NSD in the Bosomtwe District when children took over the exercise while their parents took part in funeral activities and other functions. This resulted in low patronage of the exercise in the district, although there was enough publicity for it by the district assembly. DCE The District Chief Executive, Madam Veronica Antwi-Adjei, showed signs of good leadership by leading a team to join the chiefs and the people of Kuntanase-Mim to participate in the exercise. Schoolchildren in their uniforms welcomed the DCE with enthusiasm to clear bushes along the street, de-silt gutters and sweep the main street in the town. The chiefs and people, on the other hand, responded positively by picking their accoutrements to work at various locations around the town. The DCE commended the chiefs and people for their dedication to the exercise, which is geared towards keeping the environment clean to prevent people from getting ill. Right from Atonsu-Agogo to Mim in the Bosomtwe District, people were seen engaged in their normal businesses between 8 a.m. and 12 noon on that Saturday. At Jachie, some few people were seen cleaning the streets. Bye-laws Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the clean-up exercise at Kuntanase-Mim, Madam Antwi-Adjei hinted that the assembly would early next year enact a bye-law to support the NSD. The bye-law, when enacted, will help ensure that people would participate in the exercise, as absentees will be prosecuted. President John Dramani Mahama last Saturday joined the people of Kumasi to participate in the exercise, but in spite of his presence, there was lot of apathy on the part of the people.