The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) has commissioned and handed over sanitation and cleaning tools and equipment to all 29 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region.

This forms part of broader national efforts to improve environmental cleanliness, reduce disease outbreaks, and build resilient communities through an effective decentralised governance system.

The sanitation tools distributed to the 29 MMDAs included 550 waste bins, 970 rakes, 1,000 shovels, 1,600 pairs of gloves, 120 Wellington boots, 1,000 long brooms, and 100 wheelbarrows.

Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, said the items handed over were selected to address practical needs at the district level and to support both routine sanitation work and emergency responses.

She added that the equipment was expected to improve the effectiveness of monthly clean-up exercises under the National Sanitation Day programme, strengthen enforcement by environmental health officers, and ultimately lead to cleaner communities and healthier populations across the region.

“The success of the intervention depends on how responsibly the tools are used,” Madam Sowah stressed.

She described environmental sanitation as a major pillar of public health, urban resilience, and sustainable development, noting that Ghana continues to face challenges such as indiscriminate waste disposal, flooding, cholera outbreaks, and environmental degradation.

She said the government had shown renewed commitment to sanitation through key interventions, including the reintroduction and institutionalisation of the National Sanitation Day, the allocation of dedicated sanitation resources and the continued strengthening of the MMDAs to deliver on their mandates.

Madam Sowah charged Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to provide leadership and oversight and to direct Coordinating Directors to ensure proper asset management and accountability.

Madam Sowah said the tools must be properly documented, secured, and used strictly for their intended purpose, to justify government’s investment and confidence in local authorities.

She called on all stakeholders to support the government’s sanitation drive, promote behavioural change, and help build a culture of cleanliness and environmental stewardship.

John Desmond Sowah Nai, Municipal Chief Executive of the Ga West Municipal Assembly, said the MMDCEs were honoured to be invited to receive the tools and equipment in support of sanitation activities.

He said that about a year ago, they collectively joined hands with the Ministry and the President to relaunch the National Sanitation Day, thereby appreciating the President's strong commitment and vision to ensure that Ghana becomes a model nation in cleanliness.

Mr Nai, who doubles as the Dean for the MMDCEs in the Greater Accra Region, affirmed their understanding that, “when Accra is dirty, Ghana is perceived as dirty.

“For this reason, we are determined to make effective use of these tools to help keep our communities clean and improve sanitation across the city and the country at large. We hereby commit ourselves to this call and assure you that the tools received will be used responsibly and for the intended purpose,” he stressed.

He appealed for increased sanitation allocations to ensure sanitation interventions could be implemented more effectively and sustainably.