Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, has declared that the Cleanest City Award and National Sanitation Day will be reinstated in order to encourage a responsible and competitive approach to environmental sanitation in the area.
The last Friday of each month will be designated as a Regional Sanitation Day to promote waste management and environmental cleanliness throughout the region, she said, in keeping with the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) “Clean Up Ghana” policy.
During a meeting with the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) management on her first day of work, the minister emphasized that sanitation and waste management will be two of the MMDCEs’ (Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives) primary performance indicators.
According to her, her administration would put in place a thorough cleanliness program that would promote waste segregation and the availability of trash bags and containers in households and public areas.
In order to improve efficiency, she disclosed plans to bolster the MMDAs’ waste management and sanitation departments’ capabilities. She also said that social and behavioral change initiatives will be stepped up to inform and refocus the public on appropriate sanitation practices.
She also revealed plans to further decentralization and improve local administration by collaborating closely with religious institutions, traditional authority, and other stakeholders.
She emphasized that although sub-district entities like zonal and area councils would be strengthened to facilitate participatory governance, MMDAs would be given more authority to increase income generation for sustainable development.
According to the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020 (Act 1030), the Minister, who also serves as the chair of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), promised to work with security agencies to uphold peace and order.
In order to increase road safety, lower crime, and improve visibility, she also pledged to step up the installation and renewal of streetlights around the area.
Speaking about economic development, Hon. Ocloo stated that she would work closely with the Women’s Bank to support women-owned businesses and encourage innovation. She also stated her intention to work with MMDCEs to drive local economic development with a specific focus on supporting women entrepreneurs.
Additionally, she revealed plans to organize trade shows in cooperation with pertinent organizations, including the Ghana Enterprise Agency, Ministry of Trade, Ghana Tourism Authority, and Department of Agriculture.
She took advantage of the occasion to urge the media, the corporate sector, and civil society organizations to help her government change the area. She also reaffirmed that she would depend on the knowledge of public employees to further the government’s goals.
Hon. Ocloo said he was confident that everyone would benefit from Greater Accra becoming a cleaner, safer, and more wealthy area if everyone worked together.
Source: 3news.com