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Dream Hunt Ghana holds clean-up exercise at Dansoman Beach
Residents, students, corporate organisations and local authorities joined forces last Thursday to clean up the Dansoman Beach in Accra as part of activities marking this year’s World Environment Day.
The exercise, organised by Dream Hunt Ghana in partnership with Wesley Grammar School, brought together Assembly Members, officials of the Municipal Assembly, staff of Cummins Ghana, students, community members and volunteers to promote environmental sustainability and climate action.
Held under the theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” the clean-up exercise focused on removing plastic waste, bottles, fishing debris, sachet water plastics and other forms of litter that had accumulated along the shoreline.
Speaking during the exercise, the founder of Dream Hunt Ghana, Mrs Portia Adu-Mensah, said much of the waste collected had been washed ashore through ocean currents and drainage systems, a situation that reflected the growing impact of climate change, marine pollution and poor waste management practices on coastal communities.
She noted that the pollution of beaches and marine environments posed a serious threat to ecosystems and livelihoods and called for sustained efforts to keep Ghana’s coastlines clean.
To ensure responsible disposal, the collected waste was sorted into various categories, including plastics, bottles and other recyclable materials. The waste was subsequently handed over to an authorised waste management company for transportation and disposal at an approved refuse site.
A major highlight of the event was a tree-planting exercise during which students and other participants born in June planted coconut trees along the coastline to mark their birthdays.
Speaking on the significance of the exercise, the patron of the Dream Hunt Club at Wesley Grammar School, Mr Julius Selasie Kodzo Kporha, said the symbolic gesture demonstrated participants’ commitment to environmental conservation and climate resilience while contributing to coastal restoration efforts.
He explained that coconut trees played a vital role in protecting shorelines from erosion, improving biodiversity and enhancing carbon sequestration, making them an important tool in the fight against climate change.
As part of efforts to encourage proper waste management in the community, Dream Hunt Ghana also donated waste segregation bins to the beach community.
The bins, designed with pictures and inscriptions translated into the Ga language, are expected to make waste separation easier and promote responsible waste disposal among residents and visitors.
The Assembly Member for the area, Mr Daniel Tagoe, stressed the importance of collective action in addressing climate change and environmental degradation.
According to him, protecting beaches and marine ecosystems is essential for safeguarding livelihoods, promoting tourism, preserving biodiversity and ensuring healthier communities.
He therefore urged residents, institutions and corporate organisations to work together in protecting the environment for future generations.
The organisers noted that the initiative contributed to the attainment of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 13 on Climate Action, SDG 14 on Life Below Water and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.
Dream Hunt Ghana expressed appreciation to Cummins Ghana, the Municipal Assembly, Wesley Grammar School, community leaders and volunteers for their support in ensuring the success of the exercise.
The organisers further called for sustained public participation in environmental conservation activities, stressing that building a cleaner, healthier and climate-resilient future remained a shared responsibility.
By Spectator Reporter
The Ghana High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, is appealing to the public to help trace the relatives or next of kin of Apia Solomon, a Ghanaian national believed to be from Osu, Accra.
According to a public announcement by the High Commission, Mr. Solomon, born on March 6, 1960, in Accra, died on July 5, 2021, from cardiopulmonary failure.
He worked as a temporary civilian staff member at the National Defence College in Nigeria. His remains are currently being kept at the Nigerian Air Force Hospital morgue in Abuja, pending burial arrangements.
The High Commission says efforts to locate his relatives have so far been unsuccessful and is urging anyone with information about his family, friends or next of kin to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Ghana High Commission in Abuja.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Security consultant Richard Kumadoe has blamed what he describes as flawed recruitment and incomplete background checks for some of the problems facing the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI).
He has called on the leadership of the BNI to review the backgrounds of officers recruited during specific periods, particularly those who entered the agency under recent recruitment processes.
Speaking on the issue on TV3 yesterday, Mr Kumadoe alleged that some individuals were recruited into the intelligence agency without proper background checks and completed vetting.
“Certain categories of persons were dumped into the BNI, whose backgrounds were not checked, and whose vettings were not completed,” he stated.
He said some of the officers linked to the concerns appeared to have been recruited within the same period, making it necessary for the agency to examine the recruitment records and backgrounds of those who joined during that time.
Mr Kumadoe argued that the problems could be addressed by ensuring that recruitment procedures were properly followed and that all applicants underwent the required checks before being employed.
According to him, when the selection process is flawed, it can lead to problems within the institution.
He blamed the politicisation of security institutions, arguing that appointing people without the necessary intelligence experience and allowing political interests to influence recruitment could undermine their operations.
“When you have a selection procedure that was flawed because you politicised the place, brought in people to come and head the place when they have no business being there, they don’t know anything about being a BNI officer, they are not intelligence officers, and you flood the place with politicians and political artists, then you circumvent the standard procedure and you are going to have some of these problems,” he said.
Mr Kumadoe, however, defended the current leadership of the BNI, arguing that efforts to address longstanding problems within security institutions could bring such issues to light.
He said the leadership should be assessed in the context of the steps it is taking to improve the agency’s operations and uphold professional standards.
Drawing on his own experience in the intelligence field, he said the opportunity to serve under experienced officers had helped him develop the skills and integrity needed to contribute to national security.
By: Jacob Aggrey
