The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Bolgatanga, Roland Ayoo, is urging collective action to combat the escalating plastic pollution crisis affecting the municipality, threatening public health and the environment.
Speaking in an interview on A1 Radio, Mr. Ayoo emphasized that restoring Bolgatanga’s former glory as Ghana’s cleanest town would require a unified, community-driven effort, rather than isolated individual interventions.
“In 2004, Bolga was adjudged the neatest town in Ghana. Can we be glorified today with that title? Certainly not,” he said. “So I think that stakeholders, traditional leaders, and you the media—if you put your effort behind mine—we should be able to succeed as a municipality.”
Plastic Waste Threatens Health, Environment, and Livelihoods
The MCE expressed deep concern over the increasing use and improper disposal of single-use plastics such as rubber bags used for sugar, salt, porridge, and even soup. These plastics, he noted, are frequently discarded carelessly, clogging drainage systems and creating unsanitary conditions.
“These rubbers are not biodegradable and stay long in the stomachs of animals. Eventually, they die,” he warned, adding that livestock consuming plastic waste not only suffer but pose a threat to the food chain and local economy.
He also raised alarms about the public health risks, including the potential resurgence of cholera outbreaks and other sanitation-related diseases if immediate action is not taken.
Inclusive Leadership and Community Responsibility
Mr. Ayoo urged residents, institutions, opinion leaders, and the media to recognize plastic pollution as a direct threat to development and act accordingly.
“We must fight the rubber as a collective body. I may be intelligent, but I am not the reservoir of all knowledge. Your direction, inputs, and guidance are required,” he said.
His comments reflect a growing concern about the environmental degradation in urban centers across Ghana, where plastic waste management remains a persistent challenge.
Reclaiming Bolgatanga’s Clean Image
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Ayoo reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive and participatory governance, urging all stakeholders to support the municipality’s efforts to make Bolgatanga clean, healthy, and livable once again.
“We need to bring back that glory. It starts with all of us. Leadership is about ‘we,’ not just ‘I’,” he added.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
