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Kwame Hagan Writes: Keeping Ghana Clean; Whose Responsibility Is It?

Gutter in Accra
Gutter in Accra

I’ve always maintained the position that Ghana is a very dirty country, perhaps being on top of the imaginary list of Africa’s Dirtiest Countries I’ve created; and every right thinking Ghanaian or non-Ghanaian resident will attest to this statement even though it does not put the country in a positive light.

From the numerous streets to the homes (including bedrooms) of many Ghanaians, the most visible thing one is sure to come across is heaps of garbage. It’s so ill-fated that most Ghanaians do not realize how such filth can cause real teething troubles. A clear example is the massive June 3rd flood that caused the death of several innocent and guilty Ghanaians.

Even before the deluge, several individuals had lost their precious lives through cholera, a malady that has totally lost standing in some countries. In my recent photo report, I was dumbfounded to have come across waste materials comfortably seeking shelter in open gutters. Interestingly, these gutters were either behind the homes or eateries of people who count themselves among human beings. Even though such ‘borla’ in the city is visible everywhere in the country, no measures have been put in place to do away with it.

The only question that comes to mind is; whose responsibility is it to keep Ghana clean?

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