The Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development in collaboration with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Zoomlion among others have kick-started a campaign to get rid the country’s Zongo Communities of filth.
The move is in fulfilment of one of the four key mandates of the Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development (MICZD) which seeks to prioritise infrastructure and sanitation enhancement in the zongo communities.
Speaking to the media after a clean-up exercise at Nima in the Ayawaso East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region recently, the Minister for Inner Cities and Zongo, Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface indicated that the exercise was in keeping with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s pledge of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa.
Hon. Boniface told the press. “The Purpose of this exercise is to first of all fulfill the pledge and promise of His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo -Addo in ensuring that Accra becomes the cleanest city in the whole of Africa. In doing so, it is very important to clear the solid waste, drains and other debris within and along the streets and in the gutters which we have started.”
He said the exercise was a successful one as it had opened the ministry’s eyes to some of the sanitation challenges facing the communities which he expressed optimism they would be able to overcome in subsequent clean up exercises.
Hon Boniface said, “If we don’t keep the environment clean, it will bring a lot of diseases that we cannot contain. “We are starting from Nima, not until I finish cleaning nima, I will not move to the next place. But I believe, places I will be moving to will be Sabon- Zongo, Shukura, Fadama, Madina Shukara and Nasarawa.
He was grateful to all the people in the area who came out in their numbers to support in the exercise.
He assured that his ministry would not relent until Zongo communities are cleaned as part of the campaign embarked on by the ministry.
He said the ministry will also work with all stakeholders to ensure that enforcement of sanitation laws are achieved across the Zongo communities.
He disclosed that his ministry was in touch with some waste management companies to provide incentives for solid waste sorting across the Zongo communities in the country.
For his part the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources and MP for Navorogo Central, Joseph Kofi Adda, pledged his support for the exercise and gave the assurance that his ministry will continue to support the clean-up campaign.
By Mohammed Suleman
