As preparations heighten for this year’s Asogli Te Za (Yam Festival), the Ho Municipal Assembly has relaunched its monthly clean-up exercise to restore the city’s reputation as Ghana’s “Oxygen City.”
The initiative, led by Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Mr. Stephen Adom, seeks to rekindle community participation in sanitation and beautification activities, ensuring that the Volta Regional capital remains clean and welcoming to visitors during the festive season.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Adom reaffirmed the Assembly’s determination to make Ho a model city for environmental cleanliness and civic responsibility.
“Our vision aligns with the President’s agenda for a clean Ghana. As both the regional and municipal capital, Ho must lead by example in maintaining a beautiful and healthy environment,” he said.
The clean-up exercise, which drew massive participation from schools, institutions, civil society groups, and traders, saw residents desilting drains, sweeping streets, and clearing refuse from major public spaces.
According to Mr. Lawrence Senya, the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, the exercise marked the beginning of a renewed community sanitation campaign. He revealed that the Assembly had decided to observe its clean-up exercises on the first Friday of every month, ahead of the National Sanitation Day, to better suit the local calendar and promote regularity.
“Today’s turnout has been encouraging, even though we didn’t achieve 100 percent participation. This is the start of a culture we must sustain,” he said in an interview.
Mr. Senya cautioned residents and business owners against neglecting their civic duty to maintain cleanliness, warning that the Assembly and traditional leaders would enforce sanitation by-laws through fines and legal action when necessary.
He added that the Assembly was impressed with the immediate impact of the exercise.
“Our streets are already looking cleaner and more beautiful. Ho must live up to its name as the Oxygen City — clean, green, and disciplined,” he said.
Participants, including students, market women, and members of community-based organisations, expressed pride in contributing to the sanitation drive and pledged to support subsequent exercises.
Mr. Senya commended the volunteers for setting a strong example and reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to sustaining the monthly campaign to protect the environment and improve public health across the municipality.
