The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR), Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has underscored that the completion of the Integrated Recycling and Composting Plants (IRECOPs) across the country will help a great deal to eliminate pockets of refuse that are often sighted in towns and cities.
She described the IRECOPs as “novel recycling plants” which will not only be connecting and treating waste but adding value to the waste as well.
Madam Dapaah made the comment on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, when she paid a working visit to the construction site of the IRECOP project in Ho in the Volta Region.
The Minister’s visit formed part of a three-day tour in the Volta and Oti Regions to inspect ongoing government projects in the water and sanitation space in the two regions.
In the Volta Region, she inspected three projects – two in water and one in sanitation.
After inspecting the ongoing IRECOP in Ho, Madam Dapaah expressed delight in the progress of work done.
She said the setting up of the MSWR has paved way for a lot to be done in the water and sanitation sector.
“I am also happy that we are effectively collaborating with the private sector to have very important projects like this IRECOP in Ho and in all the regional capitals. The Ministry’s vision is also to tie in the President’s vision to make Ghana a clean country,” she said.
While inspecting a water treatment plant at Adidome in the Central Tongu District, the Sanitation Minister reiterated that the government was on course to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation by the year 2030.
This, she pointed out, was evident in the huge investment made by the government in the water and sanitation space across the country.
“…it is very important that we get the parameters right. Sod has been cut for some of the water projects in the Volta Region. Last year, we were privileged to have His Excellency cut a sod for eight major water projects totalling GHC1.40 billion US dollars which will give 4.5 million people access to water.
“It is a huge input into the water sector. If I add up what will be in rural water which amounts to about 1.2 million people, you can see that the government is on course to achieving the SDG 6 on Water and Sanitation by the year 2030,” she said.
Mrs Dapaah stressed that her job as a Minister was not to sit in the office and write only, stressing that “we always have to be in the field to see what is happening.”
“The President cuts the sod, the contractor is on site, and the private sector in collaboration with government starts a project. And we come to the site to make sure we appreciate what is going on and to proffer advice and appreciate also the contractors on site,” she explained.
She indicated that the project was the third phase of the five-town water project in the Volta Region.
She disclosed that this third phase will add on a “very important component which will cost us 11.5 million Euros and the contractors are Messers Strabag AG from Vienna Austria.”
In this regard, the Minister assured that her ministry will ensure that the local content component of the contract is adhered to as directed by the President.
“And we make these visits and trips to these projects to make sure that the local content is executed to the letter because we need to employ local staff where we need them to work and the people in the catchment area, especially the youth, should be the beneficiaries of these jobs,” she said.
“We know what was existing previously in these catchment areas. We had water-borne and water-related diseases. But with what we are going to do that will see an increase in the water supply, we will surely eradicate all these water-borne diseases and make sure that the people have a good and healthy life,” she further assured.
For phase three of these water projects, Mrs Dapaah revealed that “we will be adding 10 kilometres of mainline distributions.
“We are also adding 73 standpipes, and in the Adaklu District, we will create 163 standpipes and transmission lines as well.”
The project, she said, was scheduled to be completed in 24 months, adding that “we are holding the contractor’s feet to fire to make sure he finishes on time for His Excellency to commission the project.”
The Minister is expected to inspect the Keta Water Treatment Plant at Agordorme in the South Tongu District.
The Volta Reginal Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, in a welcome address, said water and sanitation were critical to the development of the people in the region, and Ghana as a whole and government are committed to providing them.
