This Is The Trash Talk Comfortably Holding Ghana Back

Countless times, you've seen it and turned a blind eye, a neighbor throwing out their trash or just a single piece at an unauthorized place. But we say nothing, we quickly move on and let the dirt sit there in full glare of the public. It is because we have normalized it.

But how normal is littering our environment? Ghana is a beautiful country that sits on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea with lovely scenery. From the mountains to the valleys, beaches to resorts, waterfalls to nature parks, we have all of it.

And these form part of the tourism sector that earns the country a good deal of income locally and internationally. But there's one thing that stains our reputation: the filth and dirt that cover these areas. It is everywhere! It has become part of society.

How Did We Get There?

That's where the normalization comes in. Take, for instance, you're outside and drink a sachet of water or eat biscuits; where do the wrappers go? We leave them exactly where we are or throw them into a gutter and feel free. Free?

Or you buy roasted corn and, after eating, you throw the corncob behind someone's building. It's just a single piece of rubbish, right?

Now imagine doing that every day of the year (360 days). Now imagine again 30 million other Ghanaians doing it with you. You see the gravity of it?

That's how we got here: with our beaches covered with plastic waste, unwanted clothes, coconut husks, and more. Some days ago, I saw a young boy throw a sachet into a gutter freely and not feel guilty about it or care where it ends up.

And then it hit me; it is a menace that we have been baptized in since infancy. If that boy did not grow up seeing adults around him doing that, would he have been confident to do so? If he did not see gutters choked with plastics, would he have had the audacity to do so?

The Admiration For Other Countries

We sit behind our televisions and phones and admire other countries, how clean they are, and some so-called wise ones will begin tagging it 'black man, black sense', 'God bless the white man,' and other ridiculous quotes. How did the White Man achieve that status? Why can't the Black Man achieve that as well?

And then there is another group that labels the government incompetent for not being able to solve the sanitation issue. Do you need the government to tell you to keep your environment clean before you do? Do you want the government to clean your surroundings for you? Dustbins have been provided; authorized refuse dumps are available. What more do we need? What stops anyone from keeping a simple plastic or piece of rubbish in their bag and disposing of it later when they get home?

Let's just face it: we are lazy and nonchalant about our environment. The average Ghanaian does not care about tomorrow or the aftermath of their attitudes.

The Devastating Consequences

The floods that hit parts of Accra on June 29 are clear evidence of the results of our nonchalant attitudes.

Investors and tourists who troop into the country hoping to enjoy the scenery or invest in them are scared away. Of course, who wants to invest in dirt?

And then there is the health aspect; many are currently in the hospital battling preventable diseases like malaria, cholera, typhoid, and food poisoning.

What Should We Do?

I suggest we instill cleanliness in our children; that's where it should start. From our homes, parents should teach their children how to properly dispose of rubbish. Pastors and Sunday school teachers should preach about it.

The National Commission for Civic Education should intensify campaigns on environmental cleanliness. Also, the government can reintroduce the old Town Council (Tankasi) institution that constantly checked and fined citizens who were violating sanitation rules.

Lastly, we should each make it a responsibility to make our society or little corner clean. Every little step goes a long way, and let's also remember the lyrics of our national pledge;

"I promise on my honour to be faithful and loyal to Ghana my Motherland.

I pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart.

I promise to hold in high esteem our heritage, won for us through the blood and toil of our fathers;
and I pledge myself in all things to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana.

So help me God."