The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has challenged the government to revive its sanitation policy in a more vibrant and proactive manner in order to address the health crisis, particularly the cholera epidemic confronting the country.
At a press conference in Accra to outline PPP’s health policy for the nation, Felix Ograh, PPP spokesperson on health, disclosed that government had completely abandoned the task of managing the country’s sanitation and left it in the hands of private waste management firms like the Zoomlion.
‘Private sector companies today dominate the garbage collection activity across the country. The results prove that privatisation is not the answer,’ according to Mr Ograh.
He noted that ‘arming state institutions to work effectively and providing better leadership at the top is the answer’, charging that
‘sanitation departments in our metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies should not be the least regarded areas in local government.They must be well-equipped and supported so that the people in their areas will know that they bite and can take on anyone who breaks the regulations concerning sanitation and a clean environment.’
He continued, ‘Bring back sanitary inspectors populary known as ‘Town Council’ and enforce citizen involvement in addressing sanitation challenges – maintenance of clean and healthy environment.’
According to Mr Ograh, government’s decision to privatise the waste management sector had resulted into major metropolis in the country being engulfed in garbage, as he claimed the private sector alone cannot manage the large heaps of waste being produced in the country on a daily basis.
‘Filth robs our nation of significant resources as we spend millions of Ghana cedis each year to treat preventable diseases such as malaria, cholera, guinea worm, among others at the expense of executing major developmental projects,’ he pointed out.
‘Preventable diseases rob our nation of essential manpower and productivity. It takes an aggressive and uncompromising attitude, a strong will and a decisive character to eradicate such preventable diseases as malaria and cholera from our country. These are the positive
attributes the PPP will bring when offered an opportunity to serve this country, the spokesman added.
BY Melvin Tarlue
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