The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, has underscored the need for the public to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana  in all their endeavours.

When that was done, he said, God would continue to bless the country together with its citizens to achieve whatever plans they set for themselves.

“We must provide services to this country with all our strength and with all our hearts. We should uphold and defend the good name, not the bad name and God will continue to bless us,” he said.

Dr Agyepong was speaking at the end of a one-week annual Zoom Praise, Worship and Thanksgiving Service of the company, intended to thank God for His mercies and blessings throughout the year. 

Held on the theme, “The Lord will Restore,” the service was also to reflect on the achievements of the company and to plan ahead towards the upcoming year.

Dignitaries Present
In attendance was the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo; the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije; CEO of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije; some Members of Parliament (MPs), chiefs and the staff and management of the company. 

In attendance were also ministers of the Gospel such as the Founder of Royalhouse Chapel, Apostle-General Sam Korankye Ankrah, the General Overseer-Charismatic Evangelistic Ministry, Reverend Stephen Mensah, the Rector of the Pentecost University College, Reverend Dr Peter Ohene Kyei, the Founder of Fountain Gate Chapel, Reverend Eastwood Anaba, and an Executive Council Member of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye.

Mostly dressed in the company’s cloth, staff and management danced to song ministrations to thank God for his favour.
Proceeds of the service would be donated to  vulnerable institutions such as  leprosaria, health institutions and orphanages.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMPANY
Reflecting on the achievements of the company, Dr Agyepong lauded the government, especially the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, for pushing the agenda of good sanitation practices with the launch of the National Sanitation Day (NSD).

He said the day, which was marked on the first Saturday of every month, was a significant step in fighting the sanitation canker in the country.

Apart from that, he said, the company had also extended its services to Zambia and  opened more of its offices in the various regions in the country to help fight sanitation in the country and in Africa.

Dr Agyepong said a new compost and recycling plant to help manage waste had been established in Kumasi and was due to be opened in 2015.

In terms of policies and capacity building, he said, the company had trained the staff of the company to upgrade their skills and knowledge in various fields.

CHALLENGES
However, Dr Agyepong said, though the company had achieved some successes, one of the major challenges it continued to face was  the attitude of Ghanaians towards waste management which resulted in the outbreak of cholera in July 2014.
He recalled that the disease took the lives of 172 people with more than 22,000 cases recorded, adding, “We don’t expect this in 2015”. 

To that effect, he said all landfill sites were going to be opened for use and mini transfer stations would also be used to reduce the travel time of dumping waste at the landfill site, while plastic recycling was going to be enforced to ensure that cholera was not as heavily recorded in 2015 as it was in 2014. 

Dr Agyepong also thanked the media for the effective sensitisation of the people about waste management in the country.

EFFORTS LAUDABLE

Commenting on the activities of the Jospong Group in 2014, Mr Afotey-Agobo said the commitment of the company in fighting the sanitation canker in the country was laudable.

For his part, Mr Vanderpujie also said the assembly would continue to support the company in all its endeavours.