Some Officials from the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) have visited selected churches and Mosques, to create awareness on the “Operation Clean Your Surroundings” campaign.
The campaign, which was launched in November 2023, sought to educate city dwellers on the need for proper hygiene and sanitation practices, exposing them to existing sanctions for offenders.
A Technical team made up of Environmental Health Officers, Metro Guards, Sub-Metro Administrators, the National Commission for Civic Education, Information Services Division, Civil Society Organisations and an Assembly Member, visited about 18 churches and six mosques within the metropolis to educate patrons on environmental cleanliness to promote a healthy living.
Some of the churches visited included the Church of Pentecost, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Assemblies of God and the Seventh Day Adventist among others.
The sensitisation centered on open defecation at beaches and bushes, littering of drains, roadsides, and other unauthorised places, choked drains around premises, homes without toilet, connection of untreated effluents to public drains among others.
The team lead by Mr Aaron Quansah Ennin, the STMA Environmental Health Officer, reminded the congregants of the harmful effects of the above practices which could result in communicable diseases like cholera, malaria and typhoid, death, flooding and destruction of properties.
He advised the congregants to abide by the Assembly’s bylaws to ensure cleaner communities for a healthy living.
GNA