The Member of Parliament for the Salaga South Constituency, Hon. Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimiah, has called for strong systems, adequate financing, and active citizen participation to effectively address Ghana’s environmental sanitation challenges.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahimiah said engagements with key stakeholders including government agencies and private sector actors involved in sanitation management have consistently revealed inadequate financial resources as a major constraint to effective operations.
She observed that while Ghana often references best practices from countries such as Rwanda, the real difference lies in the strength of their systems and the clear definition of roles for all actors.
According to her, beyond discussions about recruiting and posting environmental sanitation workers, there is the need for a national reflection on individual civic responsibility.
Hon. Ibrahimiah emphasized that leadership must begin by example, starting with Members of Parliament themselves. She cited simple but practical actions such as keeping empty plastic bottles in bags after use and refusing to litter, noting that every citizen has a duty to contribute to a clean environment.
Drawing comparisons with Rwanda, the Salaga South MP noted that people do not litter even in the absence of police enforcement because the right attitudes are supported by effective systems. She stressed that reliable household data remains a critical requirement for sustainable sanitation management.
She further explained that in Rwanda, sanitation systems capture all households, with citizens making regular payments for environmental cleaning services. In contrast, she lamented that Ghana lacks accurate household data to support structured monthly payments, including through mobile money platforms.
As a result, many households depend on informal waste collectors, popularly known as aboboyaa, who operate without standardized pricing, an issue she described as a major weakness in Ghana’s sanitation framework.
Hon. Ibrahimiah urged the country to take bold and decisive steps to confront the sanitation crisis, stating that “it is time to hold the bull by the horns.” She cited Rwanda’s protection of its portion of a shared lake with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where permanent patrols are maintained to prevent pollution despite the high cost, as an example of a responsive and citizen-focused system.
According to her, such commitments demonstrate that when systems work and citizens are fully engaged, environmental sanitation can be effectively managed for the health and well-being of the population.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
