Don’t mask Sanitation Day with politics - Okyenhene

The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has urged Ghanaians not to tag the on-going National Sanitation Day (NSD) exercise with political colours.

He pointed out that sanitation is not politics, and that it will be disastrous if issues on sanitation are politicized.

Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin made the call when the two Deputy Ministers for Local Government and Rural Development(MLGRD), Nii Lante Vandapuije, and Ms. Mavis Ama Frimpong, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace at Kyebi in preparation for the observation of the NSD in the Eastern Region.

According to the Okyenhene, Ghanaians ought to take sanitation issues seriously, saying, "we all breathe in the same air and no one can carve his own air to breathe."

He stressed that the outbreak of diseases as a result of poor sanitation, will definitely affect all and sundry.

Osagyefo Amoatia expressed worry that present day Ghanaians who are perceived as post-modern thinkers, rather are characterized by filth and sanitation-related diseases.

"It is ironic that as post-modern thinkers, we rather suffer from filth and all its implications, when in the olden days it was the opposite," he said.

He posited that it was unreasonable for one to build or rent out an apartment without toilet facilities.

The Okyenhene urged the government to exercise strict decentralization by devolution, so that there would be no need for a central government to come low to prompy local citizens to clean their surroundings.

He said Ghana would be a better place if decentralization by devolution was wholly practiced in the country.

The Okyenhene pledged his unflinching support for the NSD in the region to be very successful, and appealed to citizens of the Abuakwa Traditional Area, to fully participate in the programme to make it successful.

Nii Lante eulogised the Okyenhene for his immense contributions, in making the NSD successful.

The Deputy LGRD Minister urged all traditional leaders to massively take part in the NSD exercise, and to continuously sensitize their citizens to make their environments clean.