Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana

SOCIAL

GRAPHIC partners ZOOMLION to fight poor sanitation in Goaso

The Ahafo Regional Minister, George Boakye has commended Graphic Communications Group Limited and Sanitation giant, Zoomlion Limited for putting up a programme to engage stakeholders on strategies to improve sanitation in Goaso and the country at large.

Date Created : 9/8/2021 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Michael Kwaku Owusu/Ghanadistricts.com

He therefore charged participants embrace the call and take up sanitation issues seriously to keep Ghana clean.

He noted that the Mid-Term Evaluation Report of the Medium-Term Development Framework (Agenda for Jobs, 2019-2021), shows that Ghana recorded an increase in access to sanitation from 15 percent in 2017 base year to 21percent in 2019.

He however, lamented the slow pace of development in comparism to the achievement in safe water coverage.

“If you match the sanitation progress to that of water which achieved 66.97percent in 2019, it is clear that our progress in providing access to sanitation lags behind, he emphasized.

The Minister, in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Ebenezer Amoah made these know at a Sanitation awareness programme organized by GCGL and Zoomlion Ghana in Goaso, the capital of the Ahafo Region.

He disclosed several health reports that show that the majority of illnesses are caused by fecal matter as a result of poor sanitation and therefore implored all to take a serious view of maintaining a clean environment, sanitation and hygiene.

The Regional Minister emphasized that poor sanitation is not only about health but evokes the concept of human dignity considering the embarrassment and shame that so many people experience every day when they are forced to defecate in the open, in a bucket or plastic bag because they lack toilet facilities.

On COVID-19, the Minister noted its effects have coupled us to review some of our cultural practices and hoped the same could be done with sanitation.

The Ahafo Regional Director of Zoomlion, Mr. Edward Ziga, in his remarks outlined measures and modules being put in place by his outfit to effectively manage the waste generated in the region and mentioned community Container Haulage system.

He explained in collaboration with the municipal and district assemblies, these containers are placed at vantage points with attendants and with the help of skip trucks to transport them.

He further mentioned intensification of disinfection and fumigation during the COVID-19 as a way of addressing some of the difficult environmental problems and therefore called on residents to rally and collaborate with the organization to promote environmental cleanliness.

The Krontihene of Goaso, Nana Kwadwo Kuma Yenhyira who spoke on behalf of the Goaso Omanhene, Nana Kwasi Bosomprah emphasized the importance of sanitation to the health of the economy and hoped all stakeholders will join forces with the organizers to promote health awareness.

He appealed to the government to introduce issues of sanitation in schools curriculum as well as intensify education on sanitation.

The Omanhene however, lamented over the poor and bad nature of roads in the region and explained it affects collection and transportation of waste to the disposal sites.