News
Minister Ferreira calls on Bahamians to join Keeping Our Bahamas Beautiful initiative
NASSAU, Bahamas (August 29, 2017) – While appearing as a guest on Ed Fields Live, Kiss FM 96.1 radio show on Monday evening, the Hon. Romauld Ferreira, Minister of the Environment and Housing touted the Keeping OUR Bahamas Beautiful initiative and called for Bahamians to join together to get New Providence clean.
“We are proposing that ahead of Heroes Day, we reflect on the national heroes of this country, our forebears who have sacrificed much for us, that we do them honour by ahead of that, cleaning the place up and we want to start now,” said Minister Ferreira.
The Environment and Housing Minister called the state of uncleanliness on the island of New Providence a very serious and vexing problem.
“New Providence is filthy, “ he said, “New Providence did not get to this state overnight and it will take the collective effort of all right thinking Bahamians to do something about it.”
The first step in cleaning up the island he said was getting Bahamians onboard through an aggressive public awareness campaign.
In the first instance he said he wanted to appeal to communities and neighbourhood associations who want to organise themselves.
“If you are a community organisation, a church, a school, a neighbourhood association, or just an army of one, or an army of your family and you are sick and tired of the state of affairs of New Providence we’re talking to you,” he said, “And we’re saying ‘“look the Ministry of Environment, we want to help you to clean this place up, call us for assistance.’”
He said a mindset existed among many Bahamians that someone else should come behind them and clean up after them. He said he understood the expectations of persons looking to the government to keep the country clean but expressed that it is the responsibility of each individual to have clean surroundings.
As the Minister of Environment he said his ministry was taking the lead in being the drivers behind the cleanup initiative with the hope of all Bahamians buying in to the campaign with little enforcement.
“I think once in every generation there is an issue that falls on all of us to do collectively and certainly from an environmental point of view, this is one of them,” said Minister Ferreira.
Minister Ferreira encouraged listeners to call the ministry for more information and for necessary equipment such as dumpsters to start the initiative in their respective areas.
He said while the state of New Providence did not happen overnight and will not be cleaned up overnight, collaborative efforts will bring about the end goal of a clean island and nation.
“There are some things that bind us and the environment is one of them and in order to clean it up we all need to hold hands, lock arms and take one step forward,” he said.
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