The chiefs and people of Nogokpo in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region have organised a massive cleanup exercise aimed at ridding the town of filth and promoting unity.
The exercise, which was led by Torgbui Sabah V, the Divisional Chief of the town, saw participants including the Assembly Member, Unit Committee members, opinion leaders and residents, who cleared and swept the town’s bushy cemetery.
During the exercise, Torgbui Sabah urged residents to stay united.
He proposed regular cleanup exercises to maintain the town’s cleanliness, while emphasising the importance of collective effort in keeping Nogokpo community clean and beautiful.
“We will be doing this twice every month to make our beloved community clean and beautiful, and I expect all citizens to take part; anyone who fails to participate will face consequences,” he said.
He explained that the exercise has brought a new look to the Nogokpo community and expressed optimism that the activities would renew and uplift the spirit of communal labour among community members for the benefits of a clean environment.
He said the initiative was part of the broader efforts to promote a clean, healthy environment and to prevent diseases.
Mr Jonas Fotor Agbagba, the Assembly Member of the area, told the Ghana News Agency, in an interview, that the cleanup exercise would not be a one-time event, but rather would be a regular occurrence so that the community would be committing to a clean-up exercise twice every month.
“I am very grateful to all of us for coming out today in our numbers to participate in this month’s cleanup exercise. I can boldly say that we have made history today; cleanliness, they, say, is next to Godliness.
He said that Nogokpo community is committed to maintaining a clean and beautiful environment, and the clean-up exercise was a step in the right direction to maintain proper personal and community hygiene.
He called on residents to join hands in keeping Nogokpo clean and beautiful to drive communicable diseases to and to ensure an improved and better living condition of the residents.
Mr Lawrence Wonder Kpexor, a Unit Committee Member, also expressed gratitude to Torgbui Sabah and his elders for leading the initiative.
He praised also the residents for their participation and appealed to the community to keep the momentum alive.
Mr Kpexor emphasised that the cleanup exercise was a resounding success, with residents pledging to continue the effort to create a cleaner and healthier environment.
Some other community members Ghana News Agency spoke to, expressed their excitement and gratitude to the Torgbui and the leadership for the initiative and promised their full cooperation for future clean-up exercises.
They said the initiative would give the opportunity to other communities to replicate the Nogokpo model by engaging local leaders, setting clear goals, mobilising community members, and establishing a schedule for clean-up exercises.
They charged community leaders to promote environmental cleanliness by leading by example, raising awareness, enforcing regulations, and mobilising resources that could enable communities sustain communal labour initiatives by building ownership, establishing a schedule, recognising contributions, and involving youth.