Accra: The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) has commissioned and handed over sanitation and cleaning tools and equipment to all 29 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region. This initiative is part of broader national efforts to improve environmental cleanliness, reduce disease outbreaks, and build resilient communities through an effective decentralised governance system.
According to Ghana News Agency, the sanitation tools distributed to the 29 MMDAs included 550 waste bins, 970 rakes, 1,000 shovels, 1,600 hand gloves, 120 wellington boots, 1,000 long brooms, and 100 wheelbarrows. Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, highlighted that the items were selected to address practical needs at the district level and to support both routine sanitation work and emergency responses.
Madam Sowah stated that the equipment is expected to improve the effectiveness of monthly clean-up exercises under the National Sanitation Day programme, strengthen enforcement by environmental health officers, and ultimately lead to cleaner communities and healthier populations across the region. She emphasized that the success of the intervention depends on the responsible use of the tools.
She described environmental sanitation as a major pillar of public health, urban resilience, and sustainable development, noting that Ghana continues to face challenges such as indiscriminate waste disposal, flooding, cholera outbreaks, and environmental degradation. The government has shown renewed commitment to sanitation through key interventions, including the reintroduction and institutionalisation of the National Sanitation Day, allocation of dedicated sanitation resources, and continued strengthening of the MMDAs to deliver on their mandates.
Madam Sowah urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to provide leadership and oversight, ensuring proper asset management and accountability. She stressed the importance of documenting and securing the tools, using them strictly for their intended purpose to justify the government's investment and confidence in local authorities.
Mr. John Desmond Sowah Nai, Municipal Chief Executive of Ga West Municipal Assembly, expressed the honor felt by the MMDCEs in receiving these tools and equipment in support of sanitation activities. He acknowledged the collective effort in relaunching the National Sanitation Day and appreciated the President's commitment and vision to making Ghana a model nation in cleanliness.
Mr. Nai, who also serves as the Dean for the MMDCEs in the Greater Accra Region, affirmed their determination to make effective use of these tools to keep communities clean and improve sanitation across the city and country. He appealed for an increase in sanitation allocations to ensure more effective and sustainable sanitation interventions.