Bring back Eco-Brigade project, ZOIL urges government

The National Coordinator of ZOIL Services Limited, Mrs. Abitha Odame-Nyanteh says there is the need for government to reintroduce the Eco-Brigade project to help keep beaches in the country clean.

She said the project seeks to ensure clean beaches and monitor potential oil spillage as oil production intensifies in the country.

However, in 2010 Mrs. Odame-Nyanteh said, an embargo was placed on the daily clean-up exercise by government because it wanted to restructure the way things were done and this left the coastal belts in this current state.

The National Coordinator was speaking at a clean-up  organised by Save Our Beaches-Ghana in collaboration with ZOIL Services Limited, at James Town in Accra.

The event, which sought to educate the public and promote clean beaches, was also used to outdoor Kafui Dey a Broadcast Journalist, as an ambassador for the Clean Beach campaign.

Mrs. Odame-Nyanteh said beaches are major tourist sites but the unhealthy activities that goes on at many beaches in the country makes it unattractive for relaxation and visitation hence the need for a re-look at the concept as it gave employment to 10,000 Ghanaians especially those living in the coastal areas.

She said this will help transform the problems associated with beaches in the country and make Ghana the number one tourist destination.

The Executive Secretary of Save Our Beaches-Ghana, Paa Kwesi Wilson, said beaches in the country are in very deplorable state and this poses a big threat to marine and human lives.

The clean-up activity, he said, was to help mark the World Fisheries Day.

Mr. Wilson said it is the responsibility of Ghanaians to clean and maintain the beaches and this they must do voluntarily to support the development of the nation.

The Board Chairman, Save Our Beaches-Ghana, Reverend Joseph Ghunney, also advised the community to stop open defecation and dumping of refuse at the beach as it poses grave health implications to people.  

Ambassador of Clean Beaches and a Broadcast Journalist, Kafui Dey, expressed gratitude to the organisers for providing him the opportunity to serve this cause.

He said the work of a Clean Beach Ambassador was not going to be easy but was willing to work to make the beaches a safe and a healthy place to the benefit of all.

SOURCE: GNA
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