The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has outlined several major challenges encountered since the launch and implementation of the National Sanitation Day initiative.
According to him, one of the main difficulties has been the lack of essential logistics, including brooms, containers, bins, and shovels. He explained that acquiring these items requires going through the standard government procurement process, which often causes delays. As a result, communities sometimes complete sweeping exercises but are unable to properly dispose of the waste.
Mr. Ibrahim further noted that the lack of landfill sites across the country has compounded the problem. He emphasized that the Greater Accra Region currently has no functional landfill site, forcing authorities to transport collected waste to the Eastern Region. This, he said, incurs additional costs for vehicles, fuel, and tipping fees, as the available landfill sites are privately owned.
“The nation needs to invest in its own landfill sites,” the Minister stressed, adding that this would significantly improve waste management efforts. He revealed that these issues had been discussed with the Minister of Finance, but the gravity of the situation had not been fully appreciated at the time.
Mr. Ibrahim expressed optimism that after observing the National Sanitation Day exercise over the past few months and identifying these challenges firsthand, the government would now take the necessary steps to address them.
Story : Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku