Assembly turns to PPP for resolving challenge with waste dumping site

By Severious Kale-Dery, Daily Graphic, Ghana, Source

The Ga East Municipal Assembly has turned to a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative to resolve the current challenge at the waste dumping site at Abokobi.

Currently, most of the waste generated within the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ledzokuku Krowor, Ga West, Adenta, Madina and the Ga East municipalities is dumped at the Abokobi dumping site, which has created inconveniences for a section of the residents.

Potential investors
Consequently, out of the over 14 potential investors in the waste recycling industry who applied to convert the waste into manure and energy, the Gbi Hanza Ltd, a partnership between a local and foreign firm, has been selected to recycle the waste.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic , the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Kwao Sackey, who admitted that the dumping site was a challenge, explained that the assembly was not in a rush to take a decision on the site because it was looking for a lasting solution to the challenge.

“When I took office in 2009, I observed that the pressure on the dumping site was becoming too much and I went back to the assembly to ask for a mandate to have a relocation of the waste site; this time not for dumping, but to recycle it,” he explained.

He said with the mandate from the assembly, “we acquired a land and invited potential investors who could convert the waste into a useful form. We received over 14 potential investors who were into waste recycling because we stated clearly that we did not want a dumpsite.”

Gbi Hanza Ltd
“Currently, we are working with one of the companies that showed interest, the Gbi Hanza Ltd. We have gone so far, and very soon am sure the company will start operating,” he disclosed.

Mr Sackey explained that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development held a conference with the company during which the ministry explained its stance on the project.

He said the Ministry of Agriculture had accepted the type of manure the company would be producing after testing a sample of it from India at the Pokuase Agriculture Station.

“This manure would reduce the importation of fertiliser greatly. So, Ghana would save some money and local people would also benefit from it,” he explained.

He said another aspect of the waste was energy the generation of was being addressed and, was hopeful that the project would be successful.

Asked how soon the project would take off, Mr Sackey said barring any unforeseen circumstances, the project could take off by 2015.

Inter-sectoral.

He said the inter-sectoral approach should be used in dealing with the waste problem and identified those sectors as tourism, energy, agriculture  wondering how much those sectors had contributed to waste research (how to deal with waste).

“If we look at waste as a problem for the local authority, then we are not being fair.  For instance, tourism would flourish if we have neat areas,” he stated, stressing that his reason for not rushing to prescribe that the site be closed down was that apart from the Kpone fill site, there was no other dump site in the Accra Metropolis.

He said the problem of waste in the region was a reality and “we cannot run away from it” and appealed to all to appreciate the challenge and to bring suggestions.

Mr Sackey was happy that the La Nkwantanang District had agreed to jointly sponsor the project, and was hopeful that the other assemblies would join.

Zoomlion's role
He said to address the current problem, while waiting for a lasting solution, the assembly had contracted Zoomlion Limited to manage the site.

“They fumigate the area and use the compressor to keep the waste in the form of a hill. They also direct the drivers to dump waste at the right place (at the site). If there was no management of the site, the waste would have covered the road completely. That is why the place is organised,” he said.

Background
Giving the background, he said the dumping site was established in 2004 when the Ga East Municipal Assembly was created from the Ga District Assembly. 

“At that time, the assembly needed a site for the dumping of waste. That area was selected because that was a government land belonging to Ghana Telecom. At that time, it was only for the Ga East since all the other assemblies had their own landfill sites,” he explained.

He was, therefore, not happy that those who were calling for the immediate relocation of the site were illegal occupants on the land, stressing that as far as the assembly was concerned, the land on which the dumpsite was belonged to the government.