Sanitation programme in Upper East to engage 800 youth

Some 800 unemployed youth in the Upper East Region have been engaged under a three-month programme as Sanitation Task Force, to deal with sanitation problems in the region through public education.

It is in fulfillment of President John Dramani Mahama’s Policy statement at the launch of the National Sanitation Task Force to rid the country of sanitation problems and to facilitate the behavioural change of Ghanaians.

Mr. Laud Mike Tagoe, Regional Manager of Zoomlion Ghana, a sanitation company made this known in Bolgatanga on Friday at the Regional launch of Sanitation Task Force.

The sanitation task force, among other things, would be responsible for the draining, desilting and disinfestation of chocked drains, evacuation of refuse and clearing of weeds.

He said Zoomlion would provide logistics to ensure the full implementation of the programme and therefore called on stakeholders to offer their unflinching support to the exercise.

Mr. Mark Woyongo, Regional Minister said in an address read on his behalf that one challenge that confronts the nation is the clearing of garbage from the communities.

He said despite efforts and measures put in place by government and private waste management companies to deal with the problems sanitation continue to bedevil the country.

He called on the task force, religious and chieftaincy institutions to engage the people on the need to maintain a cleaner environment.

“I urge members of the taskforce to be fair and firm in the discharge of their duties. We should all mount rigorous and persistent campaign against those who litter around,” he said.