The Member of Parliament for Weija Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has questioned the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, over the activities of ‘aboboya’ operators who dump refuse indiscriminately.

The MP claimed attention was being focused on one waste management company at the detriment of others and other solutions to deal with sanitation issues.

The MP was of the view that dumping of refuse by ‘aboboya’ operators was also contributing to the country’s sanitation problems.

In his response, Mr Ibrahim, during his appearance before the Assurance Committee, rejected the suggestion that the government’s attention was limited to a single company.

“Not that we’ve been fixated on one particular company. In Ghana here, truth be told, if you want to talk about media in Ghana here, two names stand out. Others are doing so. If you want to talk about mining, one name stands out,” he said.

The Minister added that certain names become prominent in specific industries because of their role in those sectors.

“If you want to talk about sanitation, somebody’s name stands out. If you want to talk about road construction, some names stand out. That is the Ghana we have,” he stated.

He stressed that the attention given to Jospong Group of Companies in discussions about waste management did not mean his ministry was deliberately focused on the company.

“It’s not like my mind is fixated on something. You think that if I had a company to manage the waste, I wouldn’t like it? But I don’t have the capacity. So, follow who knows the road,” Mr Ibrahim said.

The Minister also addressed the issue of waste being dumped at locations he described as unengineered landfill sites.

He said efforts were being made to stop people from disposing of waste in such areas, particularly where the practice affects wetlands.

According to Mr Ibrahim, some people dump waste on wetlands, cover it with laterite, and then sell the land for construction.

“They go and throw them on the wetlands, then they use laterite to fill it, and then they sell the land for construction. So, clearly it is something we’ve spoken against, and we are stopping it,” he stated.

Mr Ibrahim further disclosed that the government would open all available transfer stations as part of measures to stop people from sending waste to wetlands.

He said the move was aimed at encouraging the use of designated waste disposal points instead of unauthorised locations.