The Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, has called on the government to officially designate the first Friday of every month as National Sanitation Day, saying the move would encourage greater public participation in clean-up exercises across the country.
The proposal was made on Friday after the Mayor toured parts of the Kumasi Metropolis to inspect activities during the nationwide sanitation campaign.
According to the mayor, holding the monthly clean-up exercise on Fridays instead of Saturdays would attract more participants because both public and private sector institutions are actively at work on weekdays.
He explained that the turnout for Friday’s exercise was significantly higher than what is usually recorded during Saturday clean-up campaigns, describing the response as evidence that a weekday exercise is more effective in mobilising people and organisations.
The mayor expressed satisfaction with the level of participation during the opening day of the two-day nationwide clean-up exercise, noting that residents, institutions and workers all played an active role in improving sanitation across the metropolis.
Mr. Boadi believes making the first Friday of every month an official National Sanitation Day would help build a lasting culture of cleanliness and strengthen public commitment to keeping communities clean.
He said the initiative would also encourage government agencies, businesses, schools and other institutions to consistently take part in sanitation activities, making environmental cleanliness a shared national responsibility rather than an occasional exercise.
The nationwide clean-up campaign forms part of the government’s renewed efforts to improve environmental sanitation, reduce flooding caused by choked drains and promote proper waste management across the country.
The mayor expressed optimism that institutionalising the exercise would help sustain the gains made and contribute to healthier and cleaner communities nationwide.
