Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah with the WRC Board
• The WRC Board has been inaugurated
• They have been charged to guide the development of LI’s for pollution control
• Special priority is also to be given to buffer zones
Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Daapah has charged the Board of WRC to effectively guide the development of Legislative Instruments on Buffer Zones and Pollution Control.
According to her, the Board must ensure the implementation of existing regulations and policies such as the Buffer Zone policy to assist in restoring, and maintaining the ecological integrity of our water bodies and to provide socio-economic benefits to local communities.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a-15-member WRC board in Accra, the minister pointed government seeks to ensure that all citizens has access to potable water.
“Therefore, the attention is to undertake a ‘Water for All Programme’ through sustainable policies and actions that take account of ecological systems to reduce pollution; promote water use efficiency; strengthen decentralised management organisations; improve information and knowledge base; and intensify education, awareness, and monitoring.”
“Your duties also call for promoting international cooperation to improve relationship with our riparian neighbours. In this regard, your invaluable advice would be of essence for ensuring the sustained management and equitable sharing of the benefits of our transboundary surface and ground water resources.”
The Sanitation Minister further entreated the board to guide approaches towards building consensus through effective participation among all users and managers of our water resources.
“The participation should prompt significant changes in attitudes by raising awareness of people through interactions among the stakeholders, particularly NGOs and traditional authorities whose activities should be positively recognised and encouraged,” she added.
Chairman of the Water Resources Board Mr, Minta Afosa Aboagye in his acceptance speech, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve on the board in fulfillment of its mandate.
He also pledged to work hard to prevent all the inhibiting practices of the work of the commission and provide solution to the demands of the water bodies in the country for sustainable development.
Meanwhile, the 15-member board of the Water Resources Commission include: Mr. Minta Afosa Aboagye as its Chairperson and the other members are; Mr. Ben Yaw Ampomah, Mr. Yendor Ziema Jacob, Mr. Worlanyo Kwadjo Siabi, Mr. Sylvester Darko, Ing. Abdul Noor Wahab, Ing. Richard Oppong-Boateng,
The rest are; Prof. Mike Yaw Osei-Atweneboana, Dr. Micheal Mawutor Tanu, Ing. Ransford Sekyi, Mr. John McDonald Allotey, Mr. Collins Anim-Sackey, Togbe Gbogbolulu V, Mad. Afua Gyamfua Owusu-Akyaw, Hon. Adelaide Ntim.