Environmental Health Officer calls for incentives for sanitation workers

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

Mr. Adu Nkumsah delivering his lecture on sanitation to the gathering at Suhum

The Environmental Health Officer in charge of the Eastern Region of Ghana, Mr. Adu Nkumsah, has called on government and other major stakeholders in the environmental sanitation industry to consider instituting special award schemes for sanitation workers.
This he says will boost their morale, make the industry attractive to all manner of people as well as help surmount the problem of stigmatisation of sanitary workers, while enhancing the nation’s chances of achieving its environmental sanitation goals.
Mr. Nkumsah was speaking at an environmental sanitation durbar organised by Zoomlion Ghana Limited at Suhum in the Eastern Region last Wednesday, as part of a series of community-based environmental sanitation durbars rolled out by Zoomlion in its effort to bring sanitation education to the grassroots.
The key objective of the programme is to reach many more Ghanaians with the message of good sanitation and bring about radical and visible change in sanitary behaviour of the people and the Ghanaian society in general.
In his address, Mr. Nkumsah called for the strict enforcement of sanitation by-laws without fear or favour. “When people commit environmental sanitation offenses, the law must be allowed to take its due course irrespective of the person’s socio-political affiliations and economic status. In such a manner, every Ghanaian, whoever he or she may be, will learn to respect the environment”, Mr. Nkumsah said.
For his part, the Omanhene of the Suhum Traditional Area, Osabarima Ayekofi II, thanked Zoomlion for the good work it is doing in the area and urged the company to continue the fight until Ghana attains acceptable levels of environmental cleanliness. The Omanhene further commended the company for also educating the people on sound environmental practices.
Speaking on behalf of the Zoomlion team from Accra, Mr. Solomon Agyemang Duah, Communications Officer, was full of praise for the Chief and his subjects for their cooperation, support and warm reception that made the programme a huge success. Mr. Agyemang Duah called on the gathering to assist in the propagation of the message of good sanitation in their respective homes and neighbourhoods so that Ghanaian communities will be clean and healthy to live in.
Meanwhile, at a similar programme held at the Sekondi Zongo in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, officials of Zoomlion Ghana Limited interacted with community leaders and residents to find lasting solutions to teething sanitation problems being faced by the community. The programme also afforded people of Sekondi Zongo, the opportunity to express not only their appreciation but also worries and concerns about the company’s operations in the community.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Edward Keteku, deputy Western Regional Manager of Zoomlion, reiterated the company’s commitment to ensure that all communities in the region benefit from the clean Ghana agenda which the company embarked on since its inception in 2006.
He also assured the community that his office will do well to address all the concerns expressed by people in the shortest possible time.
Adding his voice, the Public Relations Officer of Zoomlion, Mr. Oscar Provencal, entreated the community leadership not to hesitate to bring to the notice of company officials any untoward developments in the operations and conduct of Zoomlion workers in the area. “In such manner, we can foster good relationships between the service provider and the beneficiary for greater results”, he explained.
The Second Deputy Chief Imam of Sekondi, Malam Zulkifli, who represented the Chief Imam, was full of praise for Zoomlion’s hard work and provision of employment for the youth. Adding his voice to the call for a harmonious relationship between sanitation workers and the general public, he said, “Let us learn to respect and appreciate the hard work our brothers and sisters in the sanitation industry are doing so that they can feel motivated to work even harder.”