Hajia Alima Mahama
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, has called on the general public to make efforts towards eliminating open defecation in the country.
She made this appeal at the launch of a partnership for Open Defecation Free (ODF) Ghana campaign programme held at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra on Wednesday.
In her address, the minister announced that open defecation-free measures had been integrated into the plans of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) across the country, adding that the MMDAs were better positioned to assist the central government in addressing the menace of open defecation through local level mechanisms such as close monitoring, interventions and citizen engagement, as well as mobilizing of resources to support policy implementation.
According to her, the ministry is proud to associate itself with the ‘’Ghana Goes ODF’’ agenda which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals on sanitation to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Hajia Mahama also appealed to the metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to make the attainment of ODF in their various jurisdictions a standing agenda at the meetings of executive committees of the various assemblies and the quarterly General Assembly meetings.
“Assembly members must work to ensure that their electoral areas are declared open defecation free by working with the established natural leader networks,” she charged.
Hajia Mahama commended the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources for the collaborative work being implemented with their ministry and MMDAs in the fight against open defecation.
She called on traditional authorities, private organizations, media outlets, civil society organizations, individuals and all stakeholders to get on board to address the menace of open defecation which, she said, had destroyed our communities.
By Mary Asieduwaa