The Daily Graphic continues its advocacy on environmental cleanliness by urging the public to rise to the call for a clean Accra. In the paper’s view, President Akufo-Addo’s resolve to make the capital city the cleanest on the continent is a bold and ambitious agenda, but it is practically doable with the unflinching commitment of all stakeholders, including the citizenry. The Graphic is of the belief that the ultimate actualization of this dream will require strict adherence to discipline and responsible behaviour, just as the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip reprimanded when he visited Ghana in 1958, a year after the country’s independence. The paper quotes the late Duke as saying “the essence of freedom is discipline and self-control”. The Graphic observes that the bane of the country over the years has been the naked neglect of rules and regulations. It is the considered opinion of the paper that knowing what is right and failing to do so remains the greatest obstacle to the clean Ghana agenda.
The Ghanaian Times highlights how human settlements and expansion due to rapid population growth have resulted in the unbridled cutting of trees leading to deforestation, climate change and environmental degradation. The paper affirms the importance of trees for human and animal survival, as a source of food and medicine while they form the basis of habitats for animals. The Times re-echoes the axiom that “when the last tree dies, the last man dies”. It is on this score that the paper expresses worry about the threat human activities pose to the existence of such an important natural resource. The paper contends that one major activity that threatens the survival of trees involves both illegal and even legal small-scale mining. The Times believes Ghanaians need to solve the problem of deforestation and related issues not only through tree planting but also others.
