Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly says its sanitation campaign with Luv FM and Nhyira FM is a bold, practical step towards improving public health and also to free resources for basic services for residents

Co-ordinating Director, Samuel Donkor, says the assembly presently spends 40 per cent of its internally generated funds on sanitation, leaving little for development.

He spoke at the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the sanitation enforcement initiative dubbed, ‘#Cleanupkumasi’ Campaign. 

Mr. Donkor recalls, with pain, how Kumasi earned the enviable accolade as ‘Garden City of West Africa’ due to the green and attractive environment which, regrettably, is now a pale shadow of the past.

General Manager of   Multimedia Group Limited, Kumasi, Jim Aglah, acknowledged the success the two partners have chalked so far in their collaborative effort to rid the city of filth.

He says the magnitude of the sanitation challenge requires strict enforcement alongside public education.

Mr. Aglah re-affirmed commitment of Luv FM and Nhyira FM to the partnership with KMA to mobilizing resources to champion the cause until Kumasi becomes Ghana’s cleanest city.

Kumasi Mayor, Osei Asibbey Antwi, observed KMA and Multimedia Groups’ two stations in Kumasi, with the progress made so far, will live up to their words, going into such collaboration.

He is optimistic media advocacy in such development issues can only advance the cause of achieving Sustainable Development Goals 17, 6 and 11 which will, in turn, attract investors.

KMA Environmental Health Officer and Head of the Sanitation Enforcement Task Force, Isaac Basanyin, and Director of Waste Management, Prosper Kotoka, like the other officials, cited behavioural change as key in winning the fight.

The sanitation campaign initiated in July has seen domestic and institutional clampdown, resulting in some prosecutions.

Mr Basanyin indicates the naming and shaming is working, emphasizing it will be sustained.

Mr. Osei Assibey signed the MOU for KMA while Mr Aglah initialled for MGL, supported by Mr. Donkor and News Editor, Saeed Ali Yaqub for the two organisations respectively.