The Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) has welcomed the Marathon Walker of Ghana, King Klottey, as he passed through the Northern Region as part of a nationwide marathon walk aimed at raising public awareness on the urgent need to protect Ghanaβs water bodies.
King Klottey was received at the Tamale Jubilee Park on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, by the Regional Security Liaison Officer, Chief Satia Naa Adam, who represented the Northern Regional Minister.The marathon walker is undertaking the walk from the Burkina Faso border to Accra as part of an advocacy campaign to draw attention to the growing threat of water pollution across the country.
The walk, which commenced at the Burkina Faso border on September 17, 2026, is expected to end in Accra on October 10, 2026. It is being undertaken under the theme βLetβs Save Our Water Bodies,β with the objective of mobilising public support and encouraging individuals, communities, institutions and other stakeholders to take action to protect Ghanaβs rivers, streams and other water resources.
Speaking during the reception, King Klottey expressed appreciation to Chief Satia Naa Adam and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council for the warm reception accorded him and his team. He explained that the marathon was not merely a physical endurance exercise but an advocacy initiative intended to generate greater public consciousness about the dangers posed by water pollution.
He noted that the degradation and pollution of water bodies had serious implications for the countryβs socio-economic development, particularly for agriculture, fishing, health, livelihoods and the general wellbeing of communities. He therefore appealed to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council and other stakeholders to support the initiative to enable it achieve its intended objectives.
King Klottey further called for stronger public participation in efforts to safeguard Ghanaβs water resources, stressing that protecting water bodies required collective responsibility and sustained commitment from government institutions, traditional authorities, civil society organisations, the private sector and the general public.
Responding, Chief Satia Naa Adam, on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, chiefs and people of the Northern Region, welcomed King Klottey to Tamale and commended him for embarking on the marathon walk to promote public awareness on the protection of water bodies.
He emphasized the importance of water to human survival and national development, noting that water was needed in virtually every aspect of life, including homes, farms, hospitals, schools, offices and other institutions. He therefore stressed that the protection of water bodies should be treated as a collective national responsibility.
Chief Satia Naa Adam said the increasing pollution and destruction of water bodies posed a threat not only to present-day communities but also to future generations. He therefore called for a change in attitudes towards the environment and urged individuals and communities to desist from activities that pollute or destroy rivers, streams and other sources of water.
He assured King Klottey of the Northern Regional Coordinating Councilβs commitment to supporting the marathon walk and its broader objective of creating awareness and encouraging action to protect the countryβs water resources.
The Regional Security Liaison Officer also called on security agencies, traditional authorities, political leaders, opinion leaders, religious leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to join the campaign against activities that contribute to the pollution and destruction of Ghanaβs water bodies.
He stressed that the fight against water pollution could not be left to government alone, but required the active involvement of all sections of society. He encouraged communities along water bodies to take ownership of their environmental resources and report activities that threaten the quality and sustainability of those resources.
Chief Satia Naa Adam wished King Klottey and his team a successful journey as they continued their walk towards Accra, expressing the hope that the campaign would generate the desired public awareness and encourage concrete action towards safeguarding Ghanaβs water bodies for present and future generations.
The reception in Tamale formed part of King Klotteyβs journey across the country as he engages communities and stakeholders on the need for collective action to preserve Ghanaβs water resources.