Minister-designate Seyram Alhassan champions sanitation drive, unveils Zoomlion's state-of-the-art recycling facility in Ho

The minister-designate for Sanitation and Water Resources and Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, on behalf of President Akufo-Addo, has commissioned a modern municipal solid waste recycling plant in Akrofu-Ediope in the Volta Region.

The waste plant was constructed and managed by Africa's waste management expert Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

Addressing a durbar of chiefs, heads of department of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, and selected Municipal and District Assemblies at Akrofu-Ediope, the Minister-designate stated that the vision behind the creation of the Ministry of Sanitation was to transform the waste and sanitation management space and that is exactly what Zoomlion is doing for Ghana.

She invited more interested parties from the private sector and said waste management is best done collectively in collaboration.

The MP who was representing the President of the Republic, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to inaugurate the waste recycling plant also called Integrated Waste Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP) was optimistic that this facility will ensure the benefit of the people of the Volta Region and across Ghana.

She urged managers of the waste plant to engage with the requisite heads of department at the MMDAs to create more awareness for the efficient and maximum use of the facility.

She said, "Indeed, this is a considerable improvement towards the Clean Ghana Agenda".

Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong said the facility will receive waste from eight Municipal and District Assemblies including Ho and Adaklu for processing and recycling.

Ghana's multi-entrepreneur announced that the facility will process 600 tons of waste per day adding that luckily enough for Ghana, "our waste is 99% recoverable" which his outfit is an expert in the field.

This facility according to Dr. Agyepong is the result of the support of the President H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in cutting sod for the construction of the sixteen (16) IRECOPs across the 16 regions in 2020. He said, this facility is joined to the Medical Waste Plant, which was commissioned earlier and a wastewater treatment plant which will be completed soon and will serve as a centre of research for tertiary institutions.

Dr. Agyepong showed gratitude to the chiefs of Akrofu-Ediope for the release of land for the plant, Members of Parliament, and current and past ministers of the sanitation ministry for their collaboration and assured them that his company will do more to transform our waste sector. He said the facility will employ over 300 people in the Volta Region in various job categories.

Volta Regional Minister, Hon. Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa showered praises on the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies and his staff across the nation for the great job they are doing. He said the people of the Volta Region are excited about the facility because of the job creation and tourism benefits it brings.

"This will greatly help the region contribute its bid towards climate change" he said adding that she wishes there were enough resources for her government to adopt it as one district, one IRECOP.

This is the 6th of the 16 plants to be commissioned with three more plants in Upper West, Bono and North East Regions to be inaugurated in the coming days. The other seven plants are at various levels of completion.