The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has sparked discussion on social media after expressing disappointment over Ghana’s sanitation challenges following recent heavy rains.

Her reaction comes after hours of rainfall washed tonnes of plastic waste and refuse into the sea, with much of the debris later washing ashore at Laboma Beach, leaving the shoreline covered in litter and reigniting concerns about indiscriminate waste disposal.

Reacting to the scene, Madam Gomashie described the situation as “a national shame,” urging Ghanaians to reflect on their responsibility in protecting the environment.

She particularly questioned the role of Christians in promoting environmental stewardship, noting that although more than 70 per cent of Ghanaians identify as Christians, the country’s sanitation situation tells a different story.

The Minister wondered whether Ghanaians are truly living by the values they profess, asking whether “cleanliness is next to godliness” still holds true, and questioning what cultural practices encourage indiscriminate littering.

She further called on citizens to take responsibility for keeping the environment clean, stressing that Ghana’s sanitation challenges cannot be solved by government alone but require a collective change in attitude and behaviour.

Her comments have since generated widespread reactions online, with many agreeing that the flooding and heaps of plastic waste exposed deeper issues of poor waste management and environmental negligence that require urgent national attention.