Accra, April 25, GNA – Mr John Oti Bless, Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources has described Zoomlion Ghana Limited’s Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP) concept as one of the most viable modern solutions to waste processing in Africa.
According to him, he consistently promoted the concept whenever he got the opportunity as a legislator because of its potential for expansion across the continent.
“Anywhere I find the opportunity as a legislator, I try to market the concept for international expansion because I believe it offers a sustainable solution to waste management challenges in Africa,” he said.
A statement issued by Zoomlion and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the MP made the remarks when he led members of Parliament’s Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources on a working visit to the newly constructed IRECOP Plant at Mankessim.
Despite praising the innovation, the Chairman, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nkwanta North, noted that the Committee’s preliminary findings pointed to unsatisfactory sanitation management and challenges with the supply of communal waste containers in some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
He urged Zoomlion Ghana Limited to aim at improving its efforts to better service delivery.
Operations Manager of the Mankessim IRECOP facility, Kofi Mbiah, who took the delegation through the facility after briefing them on its operations explained that the plant received various forms of municipal solid waste and processed them into reusable materials.
Mr. Mbiah disclosed that the facility was expected to employ between 400 and 500 workers and operate on a 24-hour basis, significantly contributing to job creation and reducing unemployment.
The delegation also toured Medical Waste Treatment Plant, Mankessim, another facility owned by Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
Operations Manager of the medical waste facility, Elias Botchway, explained that the plant used an autoclave system to sterilize harmful microorganisms before the waste passed through a shredding process and later through a boiler system to ensure it became environmentally safe for final disposal.
According to him, the plant had the capacity to receive and process five tonnes of medical waste daily, adding that the facility would employ more than 40 workers and operate around the clock.
The visit formed part of the Committee’s oversight responsibility aimed at assessing sanitation infrastructure and waste management systems across the country.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei