The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), says President Akufo-Addo’s promise to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa, will be a mirage if government sidelines local environmental service providers.
Ghana’s capital city, Accra, is saddled with indiscriminate disposal of waste, and still suffers open defection; a situation which has earned it the 4th dirtiest city in West Africa.
[contextly_sidebar id=”QopdH9z64lRHVhf1BVtUunwseP8neioR”]But ESPA believes the situation can change if government builds the capacity of local services providers.
The Executive Secretary of ESPA, Ama Ofori-Antwi, who made the suggestion said: “The government promised to create jobs for Ghanaians. The government promised to promote the private sector, so if the government wants to succeed, this is another sector that can be promoted. I can even testify that we have employed over 500,000 Ghanaians; so if we are empowered, we can employ another 500,000, making 100,000, then there will be job creation for the youth.”
“As for government ignoring the existing private sector, it is impossible because we are on the ground, we have expertise, we have done it before. Just that the capacity of other smaller companies also need to be built so that they can also come up to get that leverage to solve most of the municipal problems.”
Her comment comes a day after the President promised to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa by the end of his tenure in office.
According to him, government has a plan to rid the city of filth, and further pledged his commitment to ensure the proper management of waste in the capital.
“The commitment I want to make, and for all of us to make, is that by the end of my term in office, Accra will be the cleanest city on the entire African continent. That is the commitment I am making,” he added.
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By: Caleb Kudah & Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana