The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, has handed over sanitation cleaning tools and equipment to all the 29 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra region.

The tools, which include 979 waste bins, 1,000 rakes, 1,600 shovels, 120 boxes of hand gloves, 120 Wellington boots, 1,000 long brooms, and 100 wheelbarrows, are aimed, among other objectives, to reinforce and reintroduce the National Sanitation Day.

Ms Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (sixth from left) symbolically handing over the items to Ms Linda Ocloo

Speaking at the presentation ceremony yesterday in Accra, Mr Ibrahim said this development forms part of the government’s continuous strengthening of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to deliver on their sanitation mandates.

He was hopeful that the tools would encourage the Environmental Health Officers and sanitation staff in enforcing sanitation standards and ultimately contribute to cleaner communities, safer environments, and healthier populations across the Greater Accra Region.

“These items have been carefully selected to respond to the practical sanitation needs of MMDAs and to complement existing resources at the district level. While the government has made this investment, results will only be achieved if the equipment is used responsibly, efficiently, and for the intended purpose,” he stated.

Furthermore, Mr Ibrahim charged the MMDAs to provide the necessary leadership and oversight on the use of these items, adding that Environmental Health Officers should deploy these tools effectively in improving sanitation outcomes in their respective jurisdictions.

He urged the Environmental Health Officers to deploy these tools effectively, stressing, “Let me emphasise that these assets must be properly documented, adequately secured, and properly used to justify the confidence the government has placed in our local authorities.”

“Sanitation is not the responsibility of the government alone. It requires the collective effort of assemblies, traditional authorities, religious leaders, community leaders, the private sector, civil society, and the entire citizenry,” he said.

He, therefore, urged all stakeholders to work collaboratively to sustain the gains of National Sanitation Day, promote behavioural change at the community level, and build a culture of cleanliness, responsibility, and environmental stewardship.

“It is my hope that the tools being handed over today will serve as a catalyst for improved sanitation service delivery and inspire renewed commitment across the MMDAs in the Greater Accra Region. It is my singular honour to formally commission and hand over the sanitation cleaning tools and equipment to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District,” the minister indicated.