Kasoa (C/R), July 16, GNA- Mr. Solomon Kwashie Abbam-Quaye, District Chief Executive for Awutu-Effutu-Senya, has suggested to churches to make the teaching of environmental sanitation part of their evangelical duties.

He extended similar suggestion to Islamic movements in the country.

Addressing members of the Kasoa Pentecost Church at a fund-raising ceremony to generate funds for the construction of new a church building, Mr. Abbam-Quaye said it is about time churches and other religious groups actively and conscientiously involved themselves in the fight against poor environmental sanitation in the society. He maintained that unless that was done, efforts to eradicate poverty would not succeed because preventable diseases which retard economic progress would continue to torment millions of people, including Christians and Moslems.

Mr. Abbam-Quaye was optimistic that if churches and Islamic organizations treated environmental sanitation strictly as part of their divine functions in all their services, much could be achieved in this regard within a short period.

He expressed regret that majority of Ghanaians who litre the country's cities and towns with all manners of rubbish are Christians and members of the Islamic religious sects.

Mr. Abbam-Quaye said since followers of these religious bodies were the worst offenders of this unpatriotic act, churches and Islamic religious leaders in the country must device appropriate measures to assist the Government resolve the mounting problems confronting the nation.

Turning to financial problems facing religious organizations, Mr. Abbam-Quaye suggested to Christians to prepare small money boxes in which they would individually save at least 2,000 cedis every week towards the implementation of development projects the church would undertake.

The system would also prevent churches from periodic imposition of levies and other financial contributions on followers.

Mr. Abbam-Quaye urged church leaders to intensify education on the National Health Insurance Policy and make sure that all their members, who qualify, to register to become members of the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme do so to save them from heavy expenditure on health care delivery.