Best bet for waste management is Irecop – Sanitation Minister

Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has said the best option to effectively manage Ghana’s worrying sanitation and waste challenges is by holistically adopting the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant Limited (IRECoP) approach.

IRECOP is an integrated waste processing and recycling company established to receive, sort, process and recycle Municipal solid waste to produce organic compost for agronomic purposes in Ghana and the sub region.

Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah described the IRECOPs as “novel recycling plants” which will not only be connecting and treating waste but adding value to the waste as well.

She made the assertion on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, when she paid a working visit to the construction site of the IRECOP project at Ho in the Volta Region.

The Minister’s visit formed part of a three-day tour in the Volta and Oti Regions to inspect ongoing government projects in the water and sanitation space in the two regions. In the Volta Region, she inspected three projects; two of the projects are about water and one is about sanitation.

The Sanitation and Water Minister said the IRECOP project was a collaboration between the government of Ghana and the private sector, noting that waste in the regions will be hauled to IRECOP locations where they will be treated and worked on.

After inspecting the ongoing IRECOP at Ho, an excited Madam Dapaah expressed: I am sure by the end of the year, the project will be finished and will be commissioned by His Excellency, the President.

On that score, she asserted that President Akufo-Adoo was a man of “great vision.”

“Had it not been him I don’t think this idea would have crystallised into what we are seeing here today,” she said.

Continuing, she said the setting up of the MSWR has paved way for a lot to be done in the water and sanitation sector.

“And I am also happy that we are effectively collaborating with the private sector to have very important projects like this IRECOP in Ho and in all the regional capitals. The ministry’s vision is also to tie in the President’s vision to make Ghana a clean country, especially our capitals,” she averred.

This, she explained, was because in not much waste are generated in the rural communities.

“They don’t have much problem with waste, and most of the waste they generate is organic which can easily be turned into compost,” she said.

Earlier during an inspection of water treatment plant at Adidome in the Central Tongu District, she reiterated that the government was on course to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation by the year 2030.

This, she pointed out, was evident in the huge investment made by the government in the water and sanitation space across the country.

“…it is very important that we get the parameters right. Sod has been cut for some of the water projects in the Volta Region. Last year, we were privileged to have His Excellency cut a sod for eight (8) major water projects totalling GHC1.40 billion US dollars which will give 4.5 million people access to water.

…It is a huge input into the water sector. If I add up what will be in rural water which amounts to about 1.2 million people, you can see that the government is on course to achieving the SDG 6 on Water and Sanitation by the year 2030,” she said.

Mrs Dapaah stressed that her job as a Minister was not to sit in the office and write only, stressing that “we always have to be in the field to see what is happening.”

“The President cuts the sod, the contractor is on site, and the private sector in collaboration with government starts a project. And we come to the site to make sure we appreciate what is going on and to proffer advice and appreciate also the contractors on site,” she explained.

She indicated that the project was the third phase of the five-town water project in the Volta Region.

She disclosed that this third phase will add on a “very important component which will cost us 11.5 million Euros and the contractors are Messers Strabag AG from Vienna Austria.”

In this regard, the minister assured that her ministry will ensure that the local content component of the contract is adhered as directed by the President.

“And we make these visits and trips to these projects to make sure that the local content is executed to the letter, because we need to employ local staff where we need them to work and the people in the catchment area, especially the youth, should be the beneficiaries of these jobs,” she said.

“We know what was existing previously in these catchment areas. We had water-borne and water-related diseases. But with what we are going to do that will see an increase in the water supply, we will surely eradicate all these water-borne diseases and make sure that the people have a good and healthy live,” she further assured.

For phase three of these water projects, Mrs Dapaah revealed that “we will be adding 10 kilometres of mainline distributions.”

“We are also adding 73 standpipes, and in the Adaklu District, we will create 163 standpipes and transmission lines as well as.

The project, she said, was scheduled to be completed in 24 months, adding that “we are holding the contractor’s feet to fire to make sure he finishes on time for His Excellency to commission the project.”

The minister is expected to inspect the Keta Keta Water Treatment Plant today at Agordorme in the South Tongu District.

The Volta Reginal Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, in a welcome address said water and sanitation were critical to the development of the people in the region, and Ghana as a whole.

According to him, there are several water and sanitation projects ongoing in the region.

“The government of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is doing a lot in the Volta Region as far as water and sanitation is concerned,” he added

He described Mrs Dapaah as a “very good friend” of the region”, stating that she has paid several visits to the region already