Religious leaders have questioned why many Ghanaians who profess strong religious beliefs continue to engage in practices that contribute to flooding, saying the country’s sanitation crisis reflects a disconnect between faith and everyday behaviour.
Speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV on Thursday, July 9, Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations Coordinator, Rev. Jehoiada Godwin Amuzu at the Christian Council, said Christians cannot claim to honour God in church while destroying the environment during the rest of the week.
“If we cannot be pious on Sunday, then from Monday to Saturday, we destroy the environment God gave us to take care of,” he said.
His comments followed discussions on the June 29 floods, which claimed lives and caused extensive damage after heavy rains overwhelmed drains clogged with refuse.
Rev. Amuzu acknowledged that because Christians make up the majority of Ghana’s population, they must also accept responsibility for the country’s sanitation challenges.
“We acknowledge the majority status of the Christian population and so if we have indiscriminate disposal of waste or many forms of environmental degradation, we cannot be left of blame. We also accept blame. We are part of the majority, so our people are also to blame.”
He said churches would deepen environmental education through pastors, schools and social media, insisting that changing attitudes is just as important as cleaning drains.
“If we clean up the environment and the mindset does not change, it will not be long before the environment will be polluted again.”
Muslim cleric and official spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, shared similar concerns, saying many people already know the consequences of poor sanitation but simply choose not to act responsibly.
“I think we will not be honest to ourselves if we say that we are unaware of the effects of indiscriminate and irresponsible disposal of our refuse. We are only being irresponsible,” he said.
The imam noted that Islam places great importance on cleanliness and environmental protection, including rules against polluting water sources and teachings that regard removing harmful objects from public places as an act of charity.
Despite these teachings, he said many believers fail to translate religious values into their daily lives.
“It appears to me that there is a gap between what we are taught and what we believe in, and life.”
He said religious bodies must bridge that gap by ensuring their teachings influence how people behave outside churches and mosques.
“We need to do a kind of education where there is a meeting point between what we believe in and the sort of life that we lead.”
According to Sheikh Shaibu, reducing the risk of future floods will require more than infrastructure improvements. It will also demand a change in personal conduct, backed by stronger enforcement of sanitation laws and sustained public education.
