By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, Oct. 16, GNA – Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has inaugurated the steering committee on the Accra Green and Clean City Initiative to mobilise corporate organisations, communities and citizens to improve the cleanliness, greenery and maintenance of streets and public spaces in the capital.
A key component of the initiative is the Adopt-a-Street or Adopt-a-Corridor Programme, which will encourage businesses to partner relevant public institutions to undertake regular cleaning, landscaping, tree planting and maintenance of designated streets, road medians, verges, roundabouts and other public spaces.
The programme is expected to begin with selected corridors in Accra before expanding gradually, with corporate partners working under agreed maintenance plans and monitoring arrangements to ensure sustained improvements in the city’s environment.
Mr Ayariga said Accra, as the administrative capital and face of Ghana, should reflect the country’s identity and commitment to environmental sustainability, but persistent littering, poor maintenance of public spaces and inadequate greening continued to undermine its appearance and livability.
He said government could not address the challenges alone and needed sustainable partnerships with the private sector and communities, and that the Governor of the Bank of Ghana and the banking sector had expressed willingness to participate in the initiative, while other stakeholders had also shown interest.
He encouraged companies, banks, telecommunications operators, industries, hotels and other businesses to demonstrate their commitment to national development by adopting designated sections of the city as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The Minister tasked the Committee to develop an implementation framework, identify priority streets and corridors, mobilise corporate partners, estimate improvement and maintenance costs, and establish standard partnership agreements outlining the responsibilities of corporate adopters and public authorities.
The Committee is also expected to establish monitoring and reporting mechanisms, including measurable indicators, baseline assessments and regular inspections to ensure that adopted areas remain clean, green and well maintained.
Mr Ayariga said the Committee should translate the deliverables into a time-bound action plan with designated institutional leads, clear milestones and an indicative budget for consideration by the Ministry.
He noted that the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, Department of Urban Roads, and Department of Parks and Gardens would provide technical guidance to ensure that interventions complied with planning, road safety, environmental and landscaping requirements.
He added that the relevant Assemblies would continue to exercise their statutory responsibilities, while residents, traders, transport operators and community groups would be encouraged to participate in maintaining public spaces.
“A clean city requires not only investment but also responsible behaviour,” he said.
He urged the Committee to approach the assignment with commitment and innovation to make the Adopt-a-Street or Adopt-a-Corridor Programme a model of effective public-private partnership and responsible corporate citizenship.
His Royal Majesty (HRM) King Nii Tackie Teiko Truru II, the Ga Mantse and Chairman of the Steering Committee, pledged the support of traditional authorities for the initiative, calling for practical measures to address sanitation challenges and improve waste management in the capital.
He said the initiative must be backed by short, medium and long-term goals, effective monitoring and evaluation, and the establishment of sanitation courts to deal with people who flouted sanitation regulations.
“Accra is the eyeball of Ghana, the heartbeat of this country. We cannot let our waste management and the management of our waste situation and sanitation beat us,” he added.
The Ga Mantse said the capital was at risk of being overwhelmed by sanitation problems and pledged that traditional authorities would make practical efforts to ensure the initiative achieved its objectives.
He said the Committee must move beyond ceremonial meetings and focus on measurable results, supported by regular monitoring and evaluation to assess progress.
The Ga Mantse assured the Committee of the traditional authorities’ commitment to the assignment, stating that they would work with government and other stakeholders to improve sanitation and waste management in Accra.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo