Sule Salifu with stakeholders at the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly
The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly has launched the CityWide Sanitation Plan to map out the sanitation needs within the Tamale metropolis.
The plan includes carefully thought-through interventions to address sanitation challenges to improve the sanitation outlook of the metropolis in line with SDGs 6 and 11.
The Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, Sule Salifu at the launch of the plan said the development of the plan shows leadership and commitment from the assembly to prioritize WASH in the development agenda of the metropolis.
“This plan seeks to set the framework for WASH interventions and realized the vision of the assembly to achieve a clean and environmentally friendly metropolis.
Operationalising the plan would take the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly a step closer to achieving SDGs 6 and 11 to see the much-needed improvement in sanitation,” he said.
He stated that the assembly intends to work with development partners, private sector operators, and corporate bodies to provide adequate and sustainable financing for Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation (WASH) services.
Mr. Salifu thanked the Catholic Relief Services(CRS) for supporting the assembly to undertake assessments of the sanitation situation in the municipality; providing technical guidance and capacity building of enumerators for the data collection and analysis and developing a ‘Shit Flow Diagram’ for the development of the sanitation plan as well as supporting the assembly to organize planning and dissemination workshops involving key development partners in the WASH sector to solicit inputs into the WASH plan.
He called on stakeholders to support the rationalisation of the plan and help improve the sanitation situation in the metropolis.
The Head of Programmes at the Catholic Relief Services(CRS), Carolyn Edlebeck disclosed that access to basic sanitation services currently stands at 21% and that if investment in sanitation is not increased, Ghana may not meet the target of providing safe sanitation to all by 2030.
According to her, CRS has provided technical and financial support in the plan development process in the 2-3 years as it aligns with the strategic goals, vision, and mission of CRS which seeks to catalyze transformational change at scale, build a more just, equitable and prosperous world for all where local leadership and local solutions are key adding that CRS through the Urban WASH and Resilience Project has been working with Tamale Metropolitan and Sagnarigu Municipal Assemblies to implement key sanitation interventions in the past 3 years.
“ CRS constructed 580 household toilets in Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu serving over 4,000 beneficiaries, Rehabilitation of 7 public toilets and facilities RICCS certification of 3 of the public toilets as WASH friendly, supported establishment of ODF league table for Senior High Schools, facilitated revamping and training of 30 Water and Sanitation Management Teams and working with government partners to establish a Tamale Water Fund which has the potential contribution to water security in the Tamale area.”
She assured that CRS is committed to continuing its technical support for the delivery of safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in Tamale.
Madam Edlebeck urged all the stakeholders to see the CityWide Sanitation Plan as a product of co-development and contribute their quota to moving sanitation forward in the metropolis.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale