The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Joseph Kofi Adda has commended the management and staff of YFM Ghana for the launch of a sanitation campaign aimed at cleaning 10 slum communities in the Greater Accra Region.
The communities include; Korle Gonno, Town Council Line, Flamingo, Tunga, Chorkor, New Fadama, New Town, Madina, Nima and Ashaiman.
Research data from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) reveals that Accra alone generates more than 3,000 metric tonnes of waste daily with only 14 percent of Ghanaians having adequate access to good sanitation and only 15 percent being exposed to safe and improved sanitation.
The campaign dubbed; ‘YFM Slum Invasion’ is part of the radio stations 10th anniversary activities to educate citizens on good sanitation practices as well as cleaning selected communities together with the inhabitants.
The Sanitation Minister, during a courtesy call on him by the management of YFM in Accra, pledged his ministry’s full support for the campaign, urging them to use their media platform to influence attitudinal change among the citizenry.
“We, as a ministry, are happy a media organization has thought it wise to champion this worthy cause,” Adda noted.
Adding, other individuals and groups to emulate the worthy example of YFM in making sure the plan to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa becomes a reality.
President Nana Akufo-Addo had earlier pledged to make the national capital, Accra, the cleanest and best city in Africa by the end of his first term in office.
Timothy Karikari, Director at Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company (GMABC), who lead the delegation, expressed the radio station’s delight in coming onboard to solve basic sanitation issues.
“Because most of our presenters are celebrities and therefore have a lot of influence on their followers and the public, we plan on taking them to such communities to engage directly with the people.”
Mr. Karikari added that YFM has dedicated an entire month of its programming to sanitation, by having different themes on how to keep our environment clean through recycling methods, among others.
Programmes Manager at YFM, Eddy Blay said the project, in partnership with Matic Foundation, will take Ghanaian celebrities to these communities to clean up and create awareness for three months.
“Aside our on-air engagements and trainings on sanitation, we have dedicated September and November for a massive on-ground cleaning.”
Mr. Blay added, YFM is rolling out an initiative; ‘YFM Hot Squad’ to take celebrities and media to the communities on a regular, in a bid to engage, educate and change the mindset of the citizenry to make sanitation practices a norm.
By Mawuli Y. Ahorlumegah
