Bolgatanga must work to regain its lost glory as Ghana’s cleanest city, Lantana Osman, acting Bolgatanga Municipal Coordinating Director, said Friday at the launch of the 2026 Environmental Care Campaign by the Church of Pentecost in the Upper East Region.
Speaking under the theme “My Environment, My Responsibility,” Ms. Osman urged residents to embrace collective responsibility for environmental stewardship through regular clean-up exercises and sustainable sanitation practices. She cited pollution, improper waste disposal, and environmental degradation as pressing challenges affecting public health and municipal development.
“We all remember, years past, the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly was recognised as the cleanest in Ghana. That has been a lost glory,” Ms. Osman said, calling for renewed commitment to protecting natural resources, planting trees, and improving sanitation to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
Ms. Osman emphasized that schools and communities must participate actively in environmental initiatives. She noted that students should maintain at least 100 meters of their immediate surroundings and that monthly community clean-up exercises will be organized, following models already implemented.
To further motivate participation, Ms. Osman announced plans to introduce an award scheme recognizing communities and school clusters that consistently maintain cleanliness. “Every small step counts toward a greener, cleaner land,” she said.
The campaign, hosted by the Church of Pentecost, aims to raise awareness of environmental issues and inspire lasting collective action. Osman commended the organizers for their efforts, expressing hope that the initiative would spark a broader movement of environmental justice across Bolgatanga.
Meanwhile, the Ghana National Fire Service in the Upper East Region has warned farmers against indiscriminate bush burning, cautioning that the practice is destroying farmlands, valuable tree species, and worsening soil degradation.
Divisional Officer Two Calistus Nibunu said the annual burning of farms, common during the dry season, often spreads beyond intended boundaries into nearby vegetation, destroying medicinal plants, food crops, and commercially valuable trees.
“Burning farms does not help,” he said. “Fertilizers have already affected soil fertility, and burning further damages the topsoil.”
He urged farmers to adopt safer and more sustainable land preparation methods to protect the environment and preserve soil quality.
Beyond agricultural practices, the Fire Service is also intensifying public education on domestic fire safety to reduce preventable household fires. Officer Nibunu advised residents to follow proper procedures when using gas cylinders, including removing regulator heads when not in use and ensuring cylinders are properly turned off after cooking.
He recommended that users ignite matches before turning on gas burners to prevent gas buildup and potential explosions. After cooking, he said, users should turn off the regulator and allow any remaining gas in the tube to burn off safely. He also warned against placing heavy objects on gas cylinders, which could damage them and increase the risk of accidents.
He was speaking at the same event.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
