|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Veteran Ghanaian highlife musician and presidential staffer Rex Omar has called for a lasting change in public attitudes towards sanitation, urging Ghanaians to make environmental cleanliness a continuous civic responsibility rather than a reaction to disasters.
According to Rex Omar, the recent floods that affected parts of Accra and several other communities should serve as a national wake-up call, highlighting the urgent need to tackle poor sanitation practices, indiscriminate waste disposal and illegal construction on waterways.
He made the remarks on Friday, July 10, while participating in the first phase of the National Clean-up Exercise alongside John Dramani Mahama, government officials, security agencies, volunteers and residents in flood-affected communities.
The nationwide clean-up campaign forms part of government efforts to restore sanitation following the devastating June 29 floods while encouraging long-term environmental responsibility.
Rex Omar stressed that maintaining clean surroundings should become an integral part of Ghana’s culture if the country is to effectively address recurring flooding and sanitation challenges.
“I believe that this shouldn’t be a nine-day wonder. It’s something that must be part of our way of life. If it’s every Saturday or every Friday at the end of the month or whatever, it’s something that we need to do,” he said.
The veteran musician commended President Mahama for personally participating in the exercise, describing the gesture as a demonstration of leadership that should inspire citizens to contribute actively to national development.
“Leadership by example, if the president himself is part of it, who am I not to be part of it? So at the end of the day, it is about the country,” he stated.
Rex Omar urged Ghanaians to cultivate greater respect for their environment, noting that cleanliness is not only essential for public health but also reflects responsible citizenship.
“We need to change our attitude. They say cleanliness is next to godliness. So we need to be conscious of our environment and then always clean our environment and abide by the laws and the rules of the country,” he said.
He attributed Ghana’s persistent flooding challenges partly to years of environmental neglect, including illegal developments on waterways and the indiscriminate disposal of refuse into drains and gutters.
“People have been allowed over the years to build in waterways and dump refuse in gutters and all that. And at the end of the day, if the disaster comes, it affects everybody,” he observed.
The highlife icon noted that flooding now affects communities across all socio-economic backgrounds, with even some of the country’s affluent residential areas experiencing severe flood damage in recent years.
“There are so many people who have built houses in very expensive areas and yet they’ve been affected by the floods. So at the end of the day, it affects productivity; it affects everything,” he added.
While acknowledging the value of public education on sanitation, Rex Omar maintained that lasting progress would require the strict enforcement of environmental laws.
“The most important thing is that there must be enforcement,” he stressed.
Describing the recent floods as an opportunity for national reflection, Rex Omar called on government, traditional authorities, local assemblies and citizens to work together to eliminate practices that threaten the environment.
“I believe that in going forward, what has happened with this flood is a wake-up call for all of us so as to be able to stop doing things that will create these problems,” he said.
He expressed confidence that sustained community participation, effective law enforcement and responsible environmental practices would help Ghana build cleaner, safer and more resilient communities while reducing the impact of future flooding.
