By Kingsley Webora TANKEH
The Business and Financial Times (B&FT) has collaborated with the Buz Stop Boys and the 2004 year group of the Ghana Armed Forces to undertake a clean-up exercise at the 37 Military Hospital ahead of its Environmental Sustainability Summit 2025, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Business and Financial Times, the leading provider of business information, organises the Environmental Sustainability Summit every year to discuss the impact of human activities on the sustainability of the environment.
This year’s summit, themed ‘Ending Plastic Waste in Ghana: A Sustainable Future for All’, will gather environmental experts, government officials and other relevant stakeholders to discuss viable ways of ending plastic waste pollution in Ghana.
The clean-up activities included disilting of choked gutters, mowing, weeding and sweeping of rubbish and debris on the pavements in and around the 37 Military Hospital.
After shovelling silt from a choked gutter, the Chief Executive Officer of the Business and Financial Times, Dr. Godwin Acquaye, stressed the importance of the exercise, saying: “We are trying to impact our communities with our ideas.
To show that it is not just a sitting conference where we gather and talk, we set the pace for others to follow; so that when we get to the table, we bring it up to stakeholders whatever feedback we are getting from the communities in order to develop solutions to solve our challenges”.
Dr. Acquaye cited a personal encounter with the precarious situation of plastic pollution in Ghana.
“I usually go to Jamestown Beach to buy fish. And on several occasions I would see that there are heaps of plastic on the beach impeding access. You can’t step on the beach without stepping on plastics. It’s all over the place,” he said while stressing the need for community engagement to control plastic pollution and make the environment sustainable.
“We have to educate the communities to ensure that they are conscious of the activities that pollute our environment,” he said.
Considering the severe impact of irresponsible dumping of refuse, especially plastic waste and littering has on the environment, the theme for this year’s summit is more pertinent now than ever.
Plastic is a synthetic material, made of polymers, that is characterised by its ability to be moulded into different shapes and forms, especially when heated or softened.
Its synthetic nature indicates that it is not made of organic components; hence, it does not decompose easily, thereby polluting the environment.
Even though experts have warned that plastics carry enormous environmental risks and do humans more harm than good, we conveniently use them to package food and water, as well as use plastic bags for shopping, thereby polluting our environment.
Fervent calls for a ban on single-use plastics in Ghana, especially for food and water due to the associated health risks and pollution, have landed on rocks.
“We all know global warming and the health issues which come along with it because of what we do to the environment. So, as part of this year’s pre-summit activities, we are collaborating with the Buz Stop Boys to clean 36 Military Hospital and its environs,” the CEO noted.
“We are not only helping them to work, but we are providing them with food, drinks and all the support they need to work today.”
He further indicated that the collaboration would not end after the the clean-up exercise. “This is not the end. Periodically we shall join them to clean our environment,” he said, underscoring the commitment of the Business and Financial Times to environmental stewardship.
The founder and leader of the Buz Stop Boys, Heneba Kwodwo Safo, believes that “service to mankind is service to God”.
“Any time you are doing something for humanity and you do it with respect and honesty, you are doing it for God,” he said, alluding to the motivation that drives them to engage in their cleaning activities.
“Enough of the talk and pointing fingers. If 1,000 people step outside and pick up at least one plastic from the environment, that is 1,000 pieces of plastics gone [from the environment]. So if we have more responsible citizens, then we can build our nation easily,” he stressed.
Safo is calling on patriotic and benevolent individuals and organisations in Ghana to support their cause.
Buz Stop Boys is a group of young volunteers who are dedicated to cleaning public spaces, particularly in Accra. They are committed to maintaining a cleaner environment through organised clean-up exercises and promoting responsible waste disposal.
According to the CEO of B&FT, the Buz Stop Boys have been invited officially to join the Environmental Sustainability Summit 2025 at Alisa Hotel in Accra, on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Plastic pollution is a menace in urban areas that impacts environmental sustainability, causing floods, sanitary and health issues.
Improper disposal, leads to clogging of gutters that stagnate the flow of waste water and sewage, causing stench. The accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, unfortunately, impacts both plant and animal life, posing a threat to the entire ecosystem and living organisms in general.
When animal ingest plastics they clog their digestive system and end up killing them. When it chokes our gutters and impedes rush water flow, we get swallowed in floods. When it gets into the ocean, it affects aquatic life. If improperly disposed on land too, it affects plant life and also poses health risks to humans.
Plastics, indeed, have a multiplication effect on the quality and sustainability of our environment.
CSOs and concerned citizens have urged government to enact legislation to curb the pervasive issue of plastic pollution and ban the production, importation and use of single-use plastics in Ghana to make way for biodegradable and reusable alternatives.
They have also urged government to improve the recycling infrastructure in the country to nip the menace in the bud.
