The Chief Executive of Adentan Municipal Assembly, Alexander Nii-Noi Adumuah has reiterated the need for Ministers to laise with Municipal, Metropolitan, District Assemblies (MMDAs) Chief Executives and build consensus to fight the canker of environmental indiscipline in urban areas in order to build resilient cities.
He said this on Thursday at the celebration of the World Cities Day organized by the Local Government and Rural Development at the Adentan Municipal Assembly in Accra.
The MCE of Adentan indicated that, the idea is centered on creation of awareness in urban communities on how to energize and empower citizens as well strengthen the institutions to provide the necessary amenities that will ensure discipline and good lifestyle.
Furthermore, stressed the need to create such awareness is to allow citizens to realize the aim of the government, hence better cities and lives, adding “if we continue with this status quo with lots of indiscipline within the citizens like building and dumping of refuse anywhere which makes it difficult for government to achieve anything in its agenda,”
“we must change our attitudes and mindset towards the littering and improper construction at flood prone areas in order to build resilient cities, believing that, with this kind of change, even if natural disasters occurs, we will have the resilient to withstand it,” Nii-Noi Afumuah acknowledged.
This he said are the reasons why the Ministers have come together to adopt and develop strategies to find solutions to the menace and ensure the beautification of the cities as well as the improving the lives of the citizenry.
“This really brings urbanization to our cities and dwelling places as well the resilience as a whole,” he stated.
According to the MCE, the recent flooding experienced by the municipality is as a result of inadequate drainage system which the assembly is in consultation with GAMA to ensure the construction of larger and better drains that would access lots of water at the flash points identified in the communities.
“For some time now, government has dredged most of the drains but just some flash points got flooded during the recent rains and the problem is being tackled to avoid reoccurrence, ” he noted.
Speaking on the theme: ” Changing the World: Innovations and better life for future generations ” the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kwasi Adjei-Boateng who spoke on behalf of the sector minister underscored the need for public discourse to find innovative ways in the management of the cities and towns through robust and technological ways.
He outlined some challenges confronting the urban sectors and landscape such as improper management of waste and disposal of waste, job creation, lack of resilient planning, flooding among others.
The Deputy Minister cited the report of the Ghana National Population and Housing Census (PHC, 2012) which indicates that Ghana is experiencing rapid urbanization and most affected region is Greater Accra with a population of over 4 million which is more than 16 percent of the nation’s population and the fastest growing city in the region of West Africa
Statistics, according to the Deputy Minister shows that Ghana is urbanized by over 52 percent but unfortunately, the urbanization drive is characterized by challenges such as unplanned towns and cities with issues of improper disposal of solid waste and housing deficit, adding, “very unfortunately, we have limited technology to resolve these challenges, “
Believing “we must work hard to make sure disasters in the country are tackled and don’t reoccur as well must come together as citizens in partnership to deal with the challenges of the urban sprawl, poor management of both liquid and solid waste, housing deficit and to deliver environmentally-friendly innovations to tackle the menace,” he noted.
” I revealed to the gathering that, Parliament have approved the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project with a World Bank facility of $ 200 million to address the flooding issues as well upgrade slums in some selected communities in GAMA areas,” he indicated.
Therefore urged the assemblies to learn the best practices of urban management from each other, discuss innovation solutions and explore new technological solutions to improve waste management in the municipalities.
Meanwhile, messages were read from other Ministers like Works and Housing, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Sanitation and Water Resources, Greater Accra Regional Minister including United Nations (Habitat and Secretary-General representatives) among others.
The ceremony also saw the inauguration of the Coalition of Students in Urban Advocacy and Research that would support find innovative ways to deal with urban challenges.
Source: Eric Nii Sackey || erysaco93@yahoo.com
