Gasmilla with some of the volunteers
Milla Joseph Odartei Lamptey, popularly known in the music circles as “Gasmilla”, has organized a clean-up exercise dubbed, “Communal Clean-up Festival” at Old Ashongman and Agbogba in the Ga East Municipality. This forms part of the musician’s vision to ensure clean communities in Accra.
The Communal Clean-up Festival at Old Ashongman was the seventh (7th) this year the “Telemo” hitmaker was organizing in the Greater Accra Region in partnership with the Ga East Municipal Assembly and sponsored by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Ghandour Cosmetics Limited, Bel-aqua, and Eddy’s Pizza.
The exercise which coincided with the Assembly’s monthly clean-up exercise scheduled to take place at Agbogba saw Officers from the Environmental Health Unit (EHU), led by the Municipal Environmental Health Officer (MEHO), Charles Ampomah Asabre, some Staff of the Assembly, personnel from Zoomlion and Gasmilla’s team, join community members to clean the streets and clear chocked gutters from Agbogba Police Post to Old Ashongman Lorry Station.
Other Waste Companies in the Municipality, including Prempco, Zoom Domestic, Tropical Waste, and Zoomlion provided compactors and skips to help cart the rubbish away.
Later in the day, Gasmilla, accompanied by his Personal Assistant, Candy Laryea, hosted a kids show titled, “shwÉ› mÉ” kÉ› nee kasemÉ””, where he educated the school (Sanitation Clubs) and community children, who also participated in the clean-up exercise, on best sanitation practices and treated them to some of his hit tracks, including the famous, “Telemo”.
He engaged the children on their knowledge in the sanitation sector, particularly ways in which they can help keep their communities and homes clean, where those who successfully answered the questions and gave meaningful contributions were given gifts from the sponsors.
Officials from the Education Directorate and Headteachers from the Ashongman Presby Cluster of Schools were there to organize and take care of the children.
Speaking to GEMANEWS after the programme, Gasmilla stated that he sees children as key agents in facilitating attitudinal and behavioural change at home and in the community.
“I have observed that Children have passion for cleaning but their minds have not been reset. Kids must be made aware of their surroundings and educated on the need to dispose off refuse in a proper manner and this would help address the sanitation problems in the community”, he noted.
He said the President’s vision of making “Accra the Cleanest City in Africa” and the Greater Accra Regional Minister’s agenda, “Let’s Make Accra Work” can only be realized through our collective efforts.
“Since we are all part of the problem we should all be a part of the solution. Communal clean-up is a way of getting the citizens involved. If people are not made to feel part of the community and what happens depends on them, this littering and dirtying in the community will continue to happen”, he asserted.
“If they are able to clean just their community, is a major step towards the President’s agenda, the Minister’s agenda and my agenda”, he added.
Gasmilla thanked the Ga East Municipal Assembly, especially the EHU, the Assembly Member for Agbogba Electoral Area, Hon. Dennis Mensah Sowah and the Unit Committee Members, the Municipal Education Directorate and Headteachers of the Ashongman Presby Cluster of Schools for their support and cooperation which made the programme a great success.