The Paramount Chief of the Dorimon Traditional Area, Naa Alhaji Seidu Tungbani Salinbile II, and the District Chief Executive for Wa West, Richard Wullo, led residents in a major communal clean-up exercise in Dorimon. The exercise targeted key public areas including the old Dorimon market, communal waste container sites, the central market square, and bushes around the health centre. This initiative aimed to promote environmental cleanliness and reduce the risk of sanitation-related diseases.
Naa Alhaji Seidu Tungbani Salinbile II personally joined residents in sweeping the market corridors, demonstrating the importance he attaches to environmental cleanliness across the traditional area. He emphasized that his participation sends a signal to his subjects that the matter is very serious and that everyone has a role to play in maintaining cleanliness. The Paramount Chief warned that subsequent clean-up exercises would involve stricter enforcement, with divisional chiefs and residents who fail to organise their communities facing sanctions.
The traditional ruler linked good sanitation to the health and productivity of residents, stressing that a healthy population is better positioned to work and support their families. He noted that health is wealth and that a healthy body will be able to work and get a sustainable livelihood for the upkeep of family and the payment of school fees for children. The Paramount Chief also suggested that security personnel could be deployed during future exercises to ensure compliance.
The Wa West District Chief Executive, Richard Wullo, backed the Paramount Chief’s call for sanctions against residents who refuse to participate in sanitation exercises. He stated that he totally supports the call by the Paramount Chief to ensure that those who may want to be recalcitrant towards supporting this National Sanitation Day are made to face the full rigours of the law. The DCE, however, stressed that sanitation must go beyond periodic clean-up exercises, urging residents to adopt proper waste management practices as part of their daily routines.
The District Environmental Health Officer for Wa West, Edward Yendow, said the exercise formed part of decentralised national efforts under the local theme “Small Actions, Greater Impacts”, in line with the global theme “From Clean Place to Clean Cities.” He added that extensive sensitisation had been carried out through local radio broadcasts and engagements with community leaders ahead of the exercise, with particular emphasis on plastic waste management.
The exercise aimed to reduce the risk of sanitation-related diseases, including malaria, typhoid, and cholera, by clearing weeds and plastic waste from public spaces. Mr Yendow noted that sanitation has been a problem in Ghana, especially with the issue of plastics, and that this exercise is just the beginning of a sustained effort to engage community members on how to manage plastics and promote a clean district.
The clean-up exercise was organised to commemorate National Sanitation Day alongside World Cleanup Day, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts to promote environmental cleanliness and sustainability. The event demonstrated the commitment of the Paramount Chief, the Wa West DCE, and residents to work together to address sanitation challenges in Dorimon and promote a healthier environment.
Key points
- The Paramount Chief of Dorimon Traditional Area and Wa West DCE led a massive clean-up exercise in Dorimon to commemorate National Sanitation Day and World Cleanup Day.
- The exercise targeted key public areas, including markets, communal waste container sites, and bushes around the health centre.
- The Paramount Chief and Wa West DCE threatened sanctions against recalcitrant residents who fail to participate in future sanitation exercises.
