Parliamentary Committee pushes for improved sanitation services in Komenda

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources has continued its stakeholder engagements in the Central Region, meeting officials of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipal Assembly and key sanitation sector players to assess sanitation service delivery and strengthen collaboration.

The engagement, held in Komenda on Friday, brought together officials from Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Ghana Water Company Limited, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other stakeholders in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector.

Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Nkwanta North, John Oti Bless, explained that the visit formed part of the Committee’s oversight responsibilities, as outlined in official communication earlier sent to relevant assemblies and institutions.

He said the Committee’s objective was to assess the state of sanitation services in various districts, understand operational challenges facing service providers and assemblies, and identify practical solutions to improve sanitation delivery nationwide.

He urged participants to be open and truthful in their submissions, particularly regarding their working relationships with Zoomlion Ghana Limited and other service providers.

“We are here on a fact-finding mission, and we expect all stakeholders to speak truthfully about the realities on the ground. We want to understand what is working, what is not working, and how together we can improve sanitation delivery for our people,” he stated.

The Municipal Coordinating Director, on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive for KEEA, welcomed the Committee and expressed appreciation for the visit, noting that such engagements help deepen accountability and improve service delivery.

He subsequently invited the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Simon Yao Agadoh, to brief the Committee on sanitation operations within the municipality.

Agadoh described the Assembly’s relationship with Zoomlion Ghana Limited as productive and effective, particularly in waste management operations.

He said the municipality currently has 11 communal waste containers, although one has broken down, leaving 10 functional containers.

He explained that the containers are emptied once every week and indicated that waste evacuation has generally been smooth, except for the challenge created by the damaged container.

“We currently have no major issues with communal container services aside from the shortage caused by one faulty container, which is creating some pressure,” he said, adding that a replacement has been requested.

On fumigation and disinfection exercises, he said the services are being implemented effectively and have generally met the assembly’s expectations.

He clarified that the assembly has not received any official notice regarding termination of any sanitation contracts, stressing that existing agreements remain valid and operational.

On public cleansing, he disclosed that the assembly’s previous corporate cleansing arrangement with Zoomlion ended in 2024. In response, the assembly has temporarily engaged eight workers out of more than 268 operatives previously engaged on allowance, while working toward a more permanent arrangement.

He further revealed that KEEA is preparing to roll out a waste segregation programme to encourage households to separate waste at source.

Agadoh said the initiative is key to improving waste recovery, recycling, and overall sanitation efficiency in the municipality, and called for intensified public education to support its implementation.

He also indicated that plans are far advanced to engage a private company to handle public cleansing services following the end of the previous arrangement.

In an interview, the Municipal Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited in the area said the company will continue to work diligently to ensure environmental cleanliness and safeguard public health.

She added that maintaining a cordial relationship with the Assembly remains a priority, stressing that strong collaboration is key to effective service delivery.