By Patrick Biddah
The government, has made a budgetary allocation of Ghc5m, for the re-introduction of the National Sanitation Day.
The allocation is expected to be used for the buying of wheel barrows, shovels and fuelling of the waste trucks to be distributed to the various Assemblies for the smooth operations of the exercises for the next nine months.
The Minister for Local Government, Sanitation and Religious Affairs, Mr Ibrahim Ahmed, disclosed this on March 27, 2025, during a press conference to announce the re-introduction of the National Sanitation Day.
He said, the exercise is in fulfilment of a campaign promise by President John Dramani Mahama, who will launch the re-introduction of the exercise on April 2, 2025 at Mantse Agbonaa .
According to the Minister who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda, the launch of the exercise is the government’s commitment to ensuring a clean environment and after the launch the first national sanitation day will be observed on April 5,2025
He said, the exercise which was introduced in the first NDC government when the current Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah was the Local Government Minister, was abandoned by New Patriotic Party upon assumption of office.
In view of this, the Minister indicated that, the return of the NDC, will, therefore see to the smooth implementing of the sanitation agenda for the country.
Some of the agenda, he mentioned, include setting up a Sanitation Authority and a Sanitation Fund, which are expected to come in fruition when Parliament reconvenes.
The Deputy Minister for Local Government, Madam Rita Odoley Sowah, who was present, also indicated that the government intends to also use the Sanitation Day activities to facilitate economic benefits in tourism which is expected to boost growth.