The ranking members of the Parliamentary Select Committees on Local Government and Rural Development, Environment, Science and Technology and Works and Housing, Water and Sanitation have jointly called for an increased technology application in waste management in the country.
The ranking members made this observation after touring the Tamale Landfill site at Gbalahi in the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly of the Northern Region to ascertain the current state of the site.
Hon. Nii Lantey Vandepuije, a ranking member of the Local Government and Rural Development Parliamentary Select Committee, after the visit expressed his unhappiness about the current condition at some landfill sites in the country and stated that the issue of managing waste in the country is beyond local authorities.
He said it is prudent for Central Government to intervene to address the persistent sanitation challenges in the country. He also called on his colleague MPs to push harder for parliament to put up policies to address the issue.
“The issue has gone beyond local authorities. It has become a central government issue and I think that we should have a clear cut policy outlined on how we want to manage our sanitation and the way forward in the next ten years. Going around and seeing the leakages, we are killing our own people without our notice.
And so it is comprehensive to think that as a country I believe that this three committees when we go back we have to further sit down as a body and try and get our ministers responsive to the recommendations we will make on our report. And for once, I think that parliament as a body should stand and demand action for the interest of the people,” he stated
Meanwhile the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environmental, Science and Technology, Hon. Yaw Frimpong Addo on his part stated that the challenges on sanitation needs a strong and comprehensive approach and therefore their visit to the Tamale landfill site.
He said the limited technology is limiting waste management efforts in the country. He said it is therefore important for stakeholders at the sanitation departments to venture into recycling of waste in the country.
He has assured that the three Parliamentary Select Committees will not relent in their efforts but will rather push for a final solution on the sanitation issues in the country.
On her part, the Sagnarigu Municipal Chief Executive, Hajia Mariam Iddrisu commended the committees for their efforts towards resolving sanitation issues and assured them of the readiness of the Sagnarigu and Tamale Metropolitan Assemblies to partner with any recycling company to address waste management in their respective jurisdictions.
Source:Diamondfmonline.com/Alhassanyakubu
