TRENDING GH: Backward attitude major setback for 'Accra cleanest city' vision - Ghanaians

Government may be very determined and poised to realise its vision of a clean Accra by 2020 but the question still remains if the ordinary citizen is ready to do his or her part to support this vision.

Poor attitude towards sanitation has been a major challenge for the sanitation sector in the country as the constant littering and irresponsibility of individuals seems to quash efforts of stakeholders consistently.

Sadly, even the younger generation seem to have picked up bad habits like littering, irresponsible dumping of refuse and the likes from older ones who have made it look typical.

Responses from several Ghanaians when Ghanaweb took to the streets Thursday to seek their opinions on whether or not government’s vision is feasible and achievable by 2020 suggest that President Akufo-Addo and his team have a bigger job to do if indeed they want to see their vision manifest.

“It will be very difficult because with our attitude in Ghana, without we helping the government, I don’t think it’s going to be possible. If you look around, look at the environment we are living in, how can you just carry gabbage from your home and come and pour it in the gutters?, a resident of Alajo said.

Another resident in Odawna said; “It is us that we are causing those harms because if you go around this Dubai road, circle, you’ll see a lot of rubbish over there which is unfair, you even see some people urinating at unauthorized places at circle, which is not good”.

“It all depends on the citizens not the government alone, we have to give the government the needed support”, a third individual noted.



They however maintained that there is a slight possibility of seeing significant improvement if the attitude of Ghanaians change for the better, and if government puts in stringent measures to curtail the situation and punish offenders. Intensifying education and awareness creation they believe, will also go a long way to improve the sanitation situation in the capital.

“Those in authority need to sensitize the public, advertisement, create public awareness so that the citizens in the country get informed about the state and nature of the problem which we find ourselves in”, one individual said.

“Government also has to check on these things, formerly there was AMA, town council, etc. to check on us weekly or monthly, to ensure we have bins in our homes, ensure we have places for waste disposal etc.”, another said.

“It’s better to educate we the individuals, if they educate we the individuals, it is better. We our individuals, we are supposed to check our neighbours, when we see someone doing something that’s wrong, check the fellow, but we see this and leave them”.