ZOOMLION, RCC TO IMPROVE SANITATION IN UER (D/G, Thursday, April 16, 2009.PAGE 35)

THE Management of Zoomlion Ghana, a private waste management company, has pledged to partner the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) to improve the sanitation situation in the region.
The acting Regional Operations Supervisor of Zoomlion, Mr Laud Mike Tagoe, gave the assurance when he led a five-member delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, at his office in Bolgatanga.
Mr Tagoe stated that the visit was to brief the new regional minister on the activities of Zoomlion in the region and to solicit his assistance to improve sanitation in the region.
He said Zoomlion started its operations in the region in 2006 and currently had staff strength of 600, including personnel under the sanitation module of the National Youth Employment Programme.
According to Mr Tagoe, his outfit was working closely with the various Municipal and District Assemblies to ensure clean environment in the region.
He stated that Zoomlion had instituted a programme dubbed “Sanitation improvement package” under which it had entered into agreement with the various Municipal and District Assemblies by providing them with refuse trucks and a number of refuse containers placed at vantage points to collect refuse.
Mr Tagoe said Zoomlion was assisting the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly in the management of its landfill site at Sheering by providing it with a bulldozer, to bring sanity to the place.
He said the management of the company was taking measures to set up a recycle plant to recycle some of the waste.
According to Mr Tagoe, as part of his outfit’s efforts to control the rising incidence of malaria, Zoomlion had embarked on malarial control programme in the region.
He said in that regard, the company had taken delivery of 40 mist blowers, which will be distributed to support the programme.
Mr Woyongo commended Zoomlion for its commitment to keep the region clean.
He, however, expressed concern about the lukewarm attitude of the people towards the environment and the inability of the Municipal and District Assemblies to enforce their bylaws, especially the one on littering, which is hindering the efforts of ensuring a clean environment.
The regional minister stressed that the Regional Co-ordinating Council would advise the Municipal and District Assemblies to enforce their by-laws to the letter.
“I strongly feel that the assemblies can make a lot of money by enforcing these bylaws because if somebody litters and you fine him or her, part of the fine could go into the coffers of the assembly,” he said.
Mr Woyongo said the government was committed to ensuring a clean environment, so his administration would support agencies such as Zoomlion, which is in the forefront of keeping the environment clean, especially as the country was preparing to mark its Golden Jubilee anniversary next year.