The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has presented sanitation tools and equipment to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.
According to the Ministry, this is in line with the Government’s unwavering commitment towards strengthening environmental sanitation service delivery at the local government level.
Speaking at the commissioning of sanitation tools and equipment the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah charged all the MMDCEs to ensure that the equipment are put to proper use.
She said, “Let me emphasise that these assets must be properly documented, adequately secured and properly used to justify the confidence government has placed in our local authorities. Sanitation is not the responsibility of the Government alone. It requires the collective effort of Assemblies, traditional authorities, religious leaders, community leaders, the private sector, civil society and the entire citizenry. I therefore urge all stakeholders to work collaboratively to sustain the gains of National Sanitation Day.”
On the National Sanitation Day, she expressed concern about how some corporate institutions exempt themselves from the exercise.
“The week preceding the Saturday, the MMDAs should make sure that they carry out the announcement to every electoral area so that we will sensitize and conscientize the people to come out to support the exercise. Saturday, we went round, the companies were there and their surroundings were not clean. We are encouraging them to support the MMDAs to ensure that everywhere is clean,” she added.
The dean of the MMDCEs, John Desmond Sowah Nai, receiving the items on behalf of his colleagues called on the government to increase the sanitation allocation as they remain committed to ensuring a clean city.
“It is very important that Ghanaians have maintenance culture, to ensure that as we receive them, we put them in good use, but for some time they will still stand the test of time. So yes, I can assure you that, they will be put to good use, we will maintain them and we will ensure that Accra is cleaner than ever,” he said.
The items which were handed over to all the 29 MMDAs in the Greater-Accra Region include 550 waste bins, 970 rakes, 1,000 shovels, 1600 hand gloves, 120 wellington boots, 1,000 long brooms and 100 wheelbarrows.
The Ministry said other regions will benefit in due course and sweepers are going to be deployed into the principal streets of Accra, to ensure that they clean everywhere during the day and midnight, 24-hour sanitation.
