Accra: Jinpenhi Naa Kadri Ibrahim has underscored the critical role of traditional authorities in ending open defecation (OD) and improving sanitation in their communities, emphasizing the need for support from Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs). He highlighted that traditional leaders, due to their authority and close ties with community members, are uniquely positioned to lead sanitation campaigns and drive behavioral change.
According to Ghana News Agency, Naa Kadri, who also serves as Secretary to the Overlord of the Wala Traditional Area, stressed in an interview the necessity for MMDAs to collaborate with traditional authorities by providing logistical support to sustain sanitation interventions effectively. The current government has identified sanitation as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for these assemblies, yet achieving these goals remains challenging without the active participation of traditional leaders.
The Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODE), supported by World Vision Ghana, has introduced an accountability initiative to ensure MMDAs are held responsible for sanitation improvements in their areas. Naa Kadri expressed that without leveraging resources and collaboration with assemblies, traditional authorities face limitations in their efforts to eradicate open defecation. He attributed sanitation issues to negative attitudes towards environmental cleanliness and insufficient public engagement in sanitation activities.
Naa Kadri urged the creation and enforcement of local sanitation by-laws through collaboration between assemblies and traditional leaders to tackle sanitation issues such as open defecation, improper waste management, and indiscriminate littering. Naa Blintoh Taasung Abdulai, Chief of Duori, echoed this sentiment, advocating for greater involvement of traditional authorities in environmental sanitation efforts, as they can mobilize communities effectively when given adequate support.
He noted that traditional leaders historically enforced communal labor and sanitation regulations, which played a significant role in maintaining community cleanliness. However, modern governance, human rights issues, and social media have diminished the enforcement power of customary sanitation by-laws. Empowering traditional authorities to coordinate sanitation initiatives could lead to swift improvements in environmental cleanliness.
Reverend Justice Arhin-Yorke, Bishop of the Wa-Bolgatanga Diocese, observed some progress in sanitation within the Wa Municipality but noted that open defecation persists, especially among children in areas lacking toilet facilities. He acknowledged the contribution of religious institutions in promoting sanitation through advocacy and sermons.
Meanwhile, the Upper West Regional Environmental Health and Sanitation Department reports that 839 out of the region's 1,167 communities have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, indicating progress yet underscoring the need for continued efforts.