We must collaborate to rid Accra of filth — G/A Regional Minister
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has rallied all stakeholders within the region to work together to help implement a robust sanitation policy to rid the city of filth and promote a healthy environment.
Ms Ocloo said the government planned to reintroduce the National Sanitation Day (NSD), which would require all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to hold clean-up exercises on the last Friday of every month.
At her first meeting with technocrats, directors, heads of institutions and managers of programmes at all the 29 MMDAs at the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) yesterday, the Regional Minister said the capacity of waste management units at MMDAs would be strengthened to perform their roles effectively as part of the comprehensive sanitation policy.
The Shai Osudoku Member of Parliament (MP) also stressed that the policy would make issues of sanitation part of the key performance indicators (KPIs) of all the 29 metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) in the region.
Environmental cleanliness
At the meeting, the minister gave a firm assurance that improved sanitation and waste management would be one of the key issues on the reset agenda of the government.
She said apart from the reintroduction of the NSD, efforts would be made to promote environmental cleanliness by prioritising regional sanitation awards.
Ms Ocloo stressed that achieving that goal would require a collective effort by all stakeholders, faith-based organisations and development partners, to promote the government's reset agenda.
"I cannot succeed without you, and I urge you to work closely with me so that we can achieve greatness together," she said.
Collaboration
Ms Ocloo said she was going to work closely with the security agencies and the MMDAs to instil discipline on the roads by ensuring that those who took over pedestrian walkways were removed.
She said efforts would also be made to remove petty traders from footbridges and enforce the usage of those facilities.
Relatedly, the minister said petty traders on the shoulders of the road would be cleared to decongest the city.
Ms Ocloo added that there would be sustained efforts to remove unauthorised buildings, especially on watercourses, across the MMDAs as part of measures to address the flooding conditions in the region.
Model of development
The minister pledged to collaborate with workers of the GARCC to position the capital as a model of development, governance and environmental sustainability through various innovative ways.
"We all need to bring out innovative ways to make the Reset Agenda of the government a reality because it cannot be business as usual.
"I will create a conducive atmosphere for everybody to work efficiently at the Regional Coordinating Council because we cannot fail the people of Greater Accra. Therefore, all of us must put our shoulders to the wheel to work, reset and build the capital we want to see," she said.
She called on civil society organisations, the private sector, the media, and all citizens to collaborate with the Regional Coordinating Council and strive for excellence to make Greater Accra cleaner and safer.