News
Involve children in waste segregation – SHEP Coordinator
The Eastern Regional Coordinator of School Health Education Programme (SHEP) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Godfried Caeser has stressed the need to teach children about waste segregation.
According to him, children’s involvement is waste segregation would not only earn the children income but helps the cause to keep the environment clean.
Mr Ceaser said this in an exclusive interview with The Spectator, after the inauguration of school health clubs formed in some selected schools in the Koforidua Municipality.
The clubs, purposed to be agents and ambassadors of waste segregation included RIIS Presbyterian Model Schools A, B and C, Koforidua Presbyterian Basic Schools A, B, E, and F, Koforidua Freeman Methodist Basic School A, and Adweso D/A Basic School.
Stakeholders involved in the initiative include Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Eastern Regional Environmental Protection Agency, Eastern Regional Environmental Health Department, Ghana Health Service, Ensign Global College, Kpone, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the University of Environment and Sustainable Development.
Explaining the involvement of school children in the fight against filth, Mr Caesar said a lot of waste were generated in the junior and senior high schools, adding that these waste was normally mixed up and dumped at sites in the schools and later burnt or left to rot.
Such practices, he indicated, rather pollutes the environment as its invites flies and other harmful insects,bringing about various diseases like cholera, among others, hence the need to teach pupils and children to reduce pollution and its impact on climate change.
Zoomlion presented dustbins, gloves, Veronica buckets and nose masks among others to the schools to help them in the waste segregation.
Mr Caeser stated that waste segregation was very fundamental in realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Considering the SDGs on 6 on clean water and sanitation, Goal 13 on Climate Action, 14 on Life Below Water, and 15 on Life on Land, there was the need to engage in waste segregation to enable the country to reach the goals. Practicing waste segregation is important to achieve the goals by preventing pollution of the environment and water bodies.”
For his part, the Eastern Regional Environmental Health Officer, Mr Prince Kissi stated that waste management has become critical to dealing with management of school waste.
He added that the practice has always been group dumping, adding, the health problems associated with it was enormous, and revealed that waste management was not handled well in schools.
For her part, the Eastern Regional Coordinator of Zoomlion, Patricia Shardey said waste segregate was beneficial and pledged her outfit’s support for the laudable project.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
