Bye-laws to strengthen NSDay in the offing

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are to enact bye-laws to strengthen and sustain the National Sanitation Day introduced by President John Dramani Mahama.

Alhaji Collins Dauda, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, who announced this on Monday, said the Ministry would provide guidelines for MMDAs to pass the bye-laws, based on their local circumstances.

He was addressing the opening session of a four-day conference of Chief Executives of the various MMDAs underway at Abesim, near Sunyani.

Alhaji Dauda explained despite the introduction of the national sanitation day, some MMDAs were still struggling with environmental sanitation, and therefore indicated the need for the ministry to support the day with specific bye-laws.

This, according to the sector Minister, would not only demonstrate the seriousness the government attached to environmental sanitation, but would also enhance participation.

Alhaji Dauda said though feedback from the six successful sanitation days organized in the various regions had been positive, poor environmental sanitation continued to be a national challenge.

He advised the MMDAs to endeavour to showcase the achievements of the government, saying a lot had been achieved under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, especially in the areas of Health, Agriculture and Education.

Mr Justice Samuel Adjei, the Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, noted that as conduits of government policies to the people and their reactions to these policies to the government, MMDAs were expected to be tactful, hardworking and good social mixers.

“Since you personify the central government at the grassroots, you are to live above reproach, as your actions and inactions are likely to be viewed by the people as coming from the centre,” he told the participants.

Mr. Adjei charged the Chief Executives to lend their full support to the economic measures being taken by the government, which according to him, were necessary to create a good and enabling environment for businesses to thrive for economic stability.