World Toilet Day
REJOINDER: SANITATION MINISTRY ‘BLOWS’ $43M WORLD BANK CASH, $ 150M GARID FUNDS – MAHAMA ALLEGES
The attention of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) has been drawn to a publication by My Publisher 24, an online news portal on the headline above. The news portal attributed the information in the publication to Former President H.E. John Dramani Mahama.
The Ministry hereby states with no equivocation, that no such amount from the World Bank has been allocated to the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to desilt major drains in Accra, under the GARID Project. We would like to present the facts to Ghanaians and hope to lay the matter to rest.
Under the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development (GARID) Project, there are three (3) Ministries that handle allocated components. The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources is in charge of Component 2, which deals with Solid Waste Management Capacity Improvements, aimed at reducing the amount of solid waste flowing into the primary Odaw channel.
The whole allocation for Component 2 is $ 42.2 million and the Ministry has only spent $5.1million. However the $ 150 million mentioned in the publication, is the additional financing for the whole GARID Project and not for Component 2 which the MSWR is handling.
The requirements contained in Component 2 under the GARID Project are in four sub-components as follows:
- Community-based solid waste management interventions and community campaign
- Waste transfer stations, materials recovery facility, and center of excellence for solid waste management
- Capping of old dump sites, and
- Extending final disposal capacity for the Greater Accra Region
The Ministry supported 17 Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies in Accra to improve their operational capacity, under the first sub-component mentioned above, with 17 Compaction trucks, 55 Motorbicylces for monitoring and reducing littering,
Motorised sprayers for disinfestation of sanitary sites, markets and drains, and Various Cleaning and cleansing tools such as wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes and personal protective equipment.
Currently, a basin-wide removal of waste hotspots or what is also referred to as tipping points into the Odaw river is ongoing (refuse evacuation for large volumes of waste uncollected at undesignated sites and along the Odaw river channel). There are some completed contracts whilst some are on-going mainly for Litter prevention measures, Detailed Engineering Designs (DED), and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
The information about the Ministry’s role on the GARID Project is available and the Ministry is ready to assist any individual or group with all the information and details about the GARID Project as they may require.
THE SECOND BAOBAB DISTRICT WASH AWARDS HELD
The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) in collaboration with USAID and World Vision Ghana have organized the Second Baobab District WASH Awards 2024 in Accra.
This year’s awards which was on the theme: ‘Defining the path for water, sanitation and hygiene as a national development priority’, seeks to motivate the Assemblies to do their best in the WASH service deliveries to the people.
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, in her keynote address, commended the USAID, World Vision Ghana and the Global Community for such laudable initiative.
The Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly in the Northern Region was adjudged the overall best out of 30 MMDAs from six regions in the Oti and Northern Regions.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
President Akufo-Addo Signs Presidential Compact on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
ACCRA, Aug. 28, 2024 – The President of the Republic of Ghana, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, today signed a historic Presidential Compact on Water and Sanitation, as part of the government’s commitment to improving public health, increasing climate resilience and ensuring that hard to reach communities have access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
Under the Presidential Compact, the third of its kind in Africa, the government will allocate an estimated US$1.7 billion annually to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives until 2030. These funds will ensure that WASH services reach schools and healthcare facilities, as well as remote communities.
“The journey on which we are embarking is built on the fundamental truth that without WASH services, sustainable development will remain an elusive dream. This Compact represents not the start, but the continuation and amplification of our efforts; a decisive step to ensure that every citizen, irrespective of their location or circumstance, enjoys sustainable access to these vital services,” said President Akufo-Addo during the signing ceremony today.
“The Compact, signed by the President of the Republic, shows how serious we as a country take WASH issues,” added Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources in Ghana. She noted that Ghana brought the Compact to fruition just one year after it was announced as a commitment at the UN 2023 Water Conference.
The Compact will establish a National Sanitation Authority, which will support the government’s efforts to eliminate open defecation by 2030.
Furthermore, Ghana’s national climate strategy will now include building climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure and services, ensuring that the country is ready to address the challenges posed by increasing droughts and floods.
The Compact is the result of an extensive consultation process with government agencies, development partners, the academic community, and local civil society organizations. It is supported, under the Heads of State Initiatives, by the Government of the Netherlands, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UNICEF, the Sanitation and Water for All partnership and IRC WASH. These partners will serve in an advisory capacity for the Compact’s implementation, providing technical expertise and coordinated advocacy.
As Ghana leads the way with this Presidential Compact, it sets a powerful example for other countries to follow in the global push for universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
//END
ABOUT THE “HEADS OF STATE INITIATIVES”
Heads of State Initiatives support presidents and prime ministers worldwide to make water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) a priority of their mandate. These initiatives are tailored to each country’s unique context, helping achieve critical goals like making communities more resilient to climate change and solving public health crises such as waterborne diseases or open defecation. Each initiative is jointly supported by the Government of the Netherlands, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UNICEF, the Sanitation and Water for All partnership and IRC WASH.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Gifty Aboagye-Mensah
Deputy Chief Information Officer – Public Relations
Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources
abmensah2m2@gmail.com
Abubakari Wumbei
Communication Learning and Advocacy Coordinator
IRC Ghana
wumbei@ircwash.org
Christine Luby
Media Relations
Sanitation and Water for All (SWA)
christine.luby@sanitationandwaterforall.org
MINISTER’S WORKING VISIT TO THE WATER EXPANSION PROJECT AT DABOASI
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan visits Water Expansion Project at Daboase in the Western Region. The water expansion plant when completed will produce 100,00m3/ day (22MGD) of water.
The communities to benefit these water expansion project include Takoradi, Effiakuma, Kwesimintsim, Kojokrom, West Tanokrom, Anaji, Sekondi, New Takoradi, Essikado, Apremdo, Kwesikuma, Ntankoful, Ngyyiresia, East Tanokrom, Effia Village, Fijai, Assakai, Adiembra, Kansaworado, Nkroful, Aboadze, Abuesi, Apowa, Inchaban, Ketan, Dixcove Estate, Shama, Hwendo, Hotopo.
Accompanying the Minister on the visit were the Chief Director, Noah Tumfo, Director Water, Kwabena Gyasi Duku, Director EHSD, Akwetey Sampson, Director PPBME Anthony Dzadzra, Director RSIM Joyce Kusi Appiah, Director GA Jennifer Buabeng, Director Finance Bright Kwateng, Director Procurement Theophilus Okine, Director Internal Audit Winfred Addo, Public Relation Officer Gifty Aboagye-Mensah and other staff of MSWR and Ghana Water Limited
MINISTER VISITS WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AT ASAKAI
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan has visited the Sekondi-Takoradi wastewater treatment plant which has been constructed by Zoomlion at Assakai, to receive and treat faecal sludge from Sekondi-Takoradi and its environs. The facility has a 1,000 cubic meter capacity.
The Hon. Minister acknowledge the public health benefits of this facility and noted the importance of collaboration between Government and the private sector in undertaking impactful projects of this nature to increase access to sustainable sanitation services across the country
THE REVISED NATIONAL WATER POLICY LAUNCHED
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, has launched the Revised National Water at Kempinski Hotel in Accra.
In her keynote address, the Minister mentioned that the revised National Water Policy recognizes access to water as a basic human right and a resource, which is critical for achieving equitable socio-economic development and the main aim of the policy is to attain universal access to water services with current global focus in the WASH Sector.
Hon. Seyram Alhassan added “access to safe, affordable drinking water is a basic human right and a resource critical for achieving equitable socio- economic development in Ghana”.
The policy is a renewal of Government’s commitment to sustainable utilisation of Ghana’s water resources, equitable access to water supply, and the protection and preservation of water resources for the present and future generations, and this is inspired by the principles of ‘leaving no one behind’.
MINISTER VISITS KPONG AND WEIJA WATER TREATMENT PLANTS
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan has visited the Kpong and Weija Water Treatment Plants yesterday, to acquaint herself with the operations at the two sites.
Significant concerns raised include, the need for funding to support the expansion of the plants, walling of the facilities to stop encroachment and the impact of sand wining activities.
The Sector Minister said she is committed to finding a lasting solution to the issue raised.
MSWR, WRC TO TEST GROUNDWATER IN ACCRA.
The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources in collaboration with the Water Resources Commission (WRC) will be undertaking a monitoring exercise aimed at testing the quality of water source from boreholes across diverse communities.
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Dr Freda Akosua Prempeh in Her interaction with the Media underlined the pivotal objective of the undertaking the exercise which is to ensure that consumers have access to safe and high quality water from underground water.
The Minister further stressed that the initiative aims at providing data-driven insight to policymakers and enhance water safety infrastructure. The exercise will begin in the Adentan and Ga-West Municipalities in the Greater Accra Region and will subsequently take place in other part of the Country. Highlighting the pervasive issue of neglecting water quality testing.
She urged for brother outreach beyond Greater Accra emphasizing the need to extend the exercise to other regions, adding that some politicians sink boreholes in communities without engaging the Water Resource Commission to ensure proper testing.
THE OVER 10 MILLION MIM WATER SUPPLY PROJECT COMMISSIONED
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Dr. Freda Akosua Prempeh has commissioned the GhC10.517.852 million Water supply Project constructed by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) for the people in the Mim Community.
In her keynote address, she said “the focus of government is to ensure that all regions across the country are provided with adequate, safe, affordable and reliable basic water services including the practice of safe Sanitation and hygiene by the year 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal Six (SDG 6)”.
Hon. Freda Prempeh further stated the scope of the project, which consisted of mechanisation of two boreholes with transmission line of 550meters, construction of pump house and solar farm as well as the laying of 19, 300meter distribution pipe network and the installation of pipe fittings.
Currently the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) project has improved the supply of safe water to a total population of 234, 411 in Four Hundred and Twenty four (434) Communities in five (5) Districts namely Central Tongu, North Tongu, Ho West, Adaklu and Agortime Ziope in the Volta Region.
The Minister was accompanied by the Ahafo Regional Minister, the Chief Executive Officer of CWSA, representative of the Omanhene of Mim and the Ag. Director Water at Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR).
