Make space for household toilets - Collins Dauda

Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has called on all landlords to make space in their homes for the construction of household toilets.

He also called on the media to collaborate with the Ministry to help spread the sanitation awareness campaign in the country.

Speaking at the re-launching of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) sanitation and water project, and the presentation of vehicles to GAMA assemblies, Alhaji Dauda said government is making every effort to improve sanitation and water supply facilities to over 250,000 people in low income communities in GAMA.

He said in spite of the progress in other areas of national development- education, poverty reduction, water supply etc, little progress has been made in improving and sustaining our environmental sanitation.

Alhaji Dauda expressed unhappiness that over 20,000 cases of cholera was recorded in GAMA; "Ghana has been ranked the 7th dirtiest country in the world and its estimated that the nation loses about GH? 420 million each year due to sanitation related diseases; and that less than 15 per cent of the entire population have access to improved household toilet facilities in their homes."

He said the procurement of the vehicles to the GAMA assemblies forms part of the capacity building and the strengthening of their environmental and health units.

Mr Harold Esseku, the representative of the World Bank, said focus of the grant for the project is on sanitation and the management of liquid waste issues.

He said the vehicles are to help meet the logistic needs of the people and expressed the hope that the relevant authorities would expedite action to access the rest of the grant for other projects.

Mr George Asiedu, GAMA Sanitation and Water Project Coordinator, said the project, which began in August 2014, is to increase access to improved sanitation and improved water supply with emphasis on low income communities and to strengthen the management of environmental sanitation.

He said the project would be implemented in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and the beneficiaries are the nine municipal assemblies of GAMA.

Mr Asiedu said the implementation agencies of the 150 million dollar grant are the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing.