Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has praised the significant progress made in clearing the huge waste heaps at the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP) site in Accra, describing the exercise as evidence of what can be accomplished through collective action, commitment and effective resource mobilisation.
The Minister made the remarks during a visit to the site to inspect progress on the ongoing cleanup operation. He expressed satisfaction with the transformation, noting that the scale of the clearance was already apparent despite the fact that the initial 90-day deadline had not yet been reached.
“Today, you can see for yourselves how far we have come. That’s why I said that as a country, when we challenge ourselves, we can do a lot for ourselves,” he said. According to Ayariga, the progress made demonstrates Ghana’s capacity to address major sanitation challenges when the necessary resources, determination and collective effort are brought together.
He maintained that the successful removal of the waste heaps showed that no waste challenge in the country was beyond management or resolution. “If we are able to clear this heap, I don’t think there’s any waste in this country that cannot be cleared. And I don’t think there’s any waste that cannot be managed,” he stated.
The Minister further stressed the need to protect the reclaimed land from encroachment, particularly as the government prepares to develop an industrial park at the site. “We need to protect the area as we work towards that vision,” he emphasised.
He revealed that, pending the commencement of the proposed industrial park project, the government plans to cover sections of the cleared land and provide basic amenities, including walkways, to benefit residents in surrounding communities. Ayariga also announced that the DRIP team would extend its operations to other regions after completing the Accra exercise. The team is expected to deploy its machinery to support key infrastructure initiatives, including dam construction, agricultural development, water storage and sanitation management.
Expressing confidence that the cleanup would be completed within the 90-day target, the Minister underscored the importance of making the equipment available for deployment across the country to tackle similar sanitation and infrastructure challenges.
