The Minister-designate for Sanitation and Water Resources, Lydia Seyram Alhassan has commissioned a modern municipal solid waste recycling plant in Akrofu-Ediope in the Volta Region.
Seyram Alhassan who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso West Wuogon opened the state-of-the-art-facility on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The Integrated Waste Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP) was constructed and managed by Africa’s waste management expert, Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
Addressing a durbar of chiefs, heads of department of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, selected Municipal and District Assemblies at Akrofu-Ediope, Madam Seyram Alhassan stated that the vision behind creation of the Ministry of Sanitation was to transform the waste and sanitation management space and that is exactly what Zoomlion is doing for Ghana.
She invited more interested parties from the private sector, pointing out that waste management is best done collectively in collaboration.
The Minister-designate was optimistic that the facility will inure to the benefit of the people of the Volta Region and across Ghana.
She urged managers of the waste plant to engage with the requisite heads of department at the MMDAs to create more awareness for the efficient and maximum use of the facility.
“Indeed, this is a considerable improvement towards the Clean Ghana Agenda,” Madam Seyram noted.
Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong said the facility will receive waste from eight Municipal and District Assemblies including Ho and Adaklu for processing and recycling.
Ghana’s multi-entrepreneur announced that the facility will process 600 tons of waste per day adding that luckily enough for Ghana, “our waste is 99% recoverable”, which his outfit is expert in the field.
This facility, according to Dr. Agyepong, is the result of the support of the President Akufo-Addo in cutting sod for the construction of the 16 IRECOPs across the 16 regions in 2020.
He said this facility is joined to the Medical Waste Plant, which was commissioned earlier and a wastewater treatment plant that will be completed soon to serve as a centre of research for tertiary institutions.
Dr. Agyepong showed gratitude to the chiefs of Akrofu-Ediope for the release of land for the plant, Members of Parliament, current and past ministers of the sanitation ministry for their collaboration, assuring them that his company will do more to transform our waste sector.
He said the facility will employ over 300 people in the Volta Region into various job categories.
Volta Regional Minister Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa showered praises on the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies and his staff across the nation for the great job they are doing.
He said the people of the Volta Region are excited about the facility because of the job creation and tourism benefits it brings.
“This will greatly help the region contribute its bid towards climate change,” he said adding that he wishes there were enough resources for his government to adopt it as one district, one IRECOP.
This is the 6th of the 16 plants to be commissioned with three more plants in Upper West, Bono and North East Regions to be inaugurated in the coming days.
The other seven plants are at various levels of completion.
