The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Mfantseman, Eric Stanley Acquah has called for stronger collaboration between Zoomlion Ghana and the assembly for improved service delivery for the environmental health needs of the people.
He disclosed that the Assembly’s newly introduced Electoral Area Waste Management Programme is yielding positive results, with sanitation interventions already rolled out in 29 electoral areas out of the municipality’s 36 electoral areas.
The MCE made this known during an engagement involving members of Parliament’s Select Committee, officials of the Assembly, other stakeholders and management of Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZL), where sanitation delivery and operational challenges within the municipality came under review.
According to the MCE, while the Electoral Area Waste Management Programme has significantly improved sanitation management at the local level, the Assembly remains hopeful that some aspects of Zoomlion’s service delivery will improve immediately to meet contractual requirements.u
The MCE also identified the activities of informal waste collectors, popularly referred to as “junkies,” as one of the municipality’s major sanitation challenges.
According to him, these individuals collect waste from traders and residents, receive payment for the service, but fail to transport the waste to designated final disposal sites, leading to indiscriminate dumping and environmental contamination across parts of the municipality.
Mr. Acquah was worried that that even though there is no existing fumigation contract with any company in 2026 government still deducts money from their common fund for fumigation at source.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources and MP for Nkwanta North Hon. John Oti Bless, acknowledged the concerns raised and assured stakeholders that the committee would engage the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund to address issues surrounding deductions and sanitation financing arrangements.
The Ranking Member of the Committee and MP for Achiase, Hon. Kofi Marfo also stressed that assemblies should not be made to bear the consequences of inefficiencies in service delivery.
He noted that waste management companies must be held accountable to their contractual obligations and urged Zoomlion management to improve operational efficiency.
Responding to the concerns, the Central Regional Coordinator of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Ernest Osei, highlighted the company’s longstanding commitment to the municipality, particularly during periods of public health emergencies.
He recalled that during a cholera outbreak in Mfantseman, Zoomlion provided emergency financial support, chemicals, and undertook large-scale disinfection and fumigation exercises across the municipality to help contain the spread of the disease.
Mr. Osei therefore called for stronger collaboration between the Assembly and Zoomlion, emphasizing that a healthy working relationship between both institutions remains critical to improving sanitation outcomes for residents.
He added that Zoomlion has consistently supplied communal waste containers to various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), including Mfantseman, and has remained committed to lifting waste regularly.
He, however, noted that operational challenges such as equipment breakdowns, heavy rainfall, and indiscriminate dumping around communal containers occasionally disrupt waste evacuation schedules.
Also addressing the meeting, Zoomlion’s Regional Vector Control Officer, Gideon Sogbey, dismissed claims of service lapses, explaining that several sanitation interventions undertaken by the company often go undocumented due to the longstanding relationship between both institutions.
He maintained that Zoomlion has continued to provide extensive support beyond its formal obligations and called for a fair assessment of the company’s contributions to sanitation management in the municipality.
The meeting underscored the need for improved coordination among assemblies, waste management service providers, and policymakers to address sanitation challenges and ensure cleaner communities across Mfantseman.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources is currently undertaking a monitoring visit to the Central and Western Regions from Thursday, April 23 to Monday, April 27, 2026, as part of its constitutional oversight responsibilities within Ghana’s sanitation and water sectors.
The visit is aimed at assessing the current state of sanitation services, evaluating the effectiveness of waste management systems, and gaining firsthand insight into the general sanitation situation in selected communities across the two regions.
As part of the exercise, members of the Committee are engaging key stakeholders in the sanitation sector, inspecting selected waste facilities, and receiving technical briefings on sanitation management practices and interventions being implemented within the regions.
The monitoring exercise underscores Parliament’s commitment to ensuring effective sanitation delivery, strengthening accountability, and supporting policies and interventions that promote a cleaner and healthier Ghana.
