However, he believes Ghana has the men to tackle this problem.
Mr Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, 24th August 2022, commissioned an Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant in Damongo, in the Savannah Region, as part of his two-day tour of the region.
It will be recalled that on 31st October 2020, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the commencement of work on the construction of the Damongo Plant, a project being undertaken by Jospong Group of Companies, in partnership with Government, to help find a permanent solution to waste management in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, the President indicated that one of the major problems Ghana has had is the issue of waste collection and waste disposal.
“It has been a perennial problem for our country. But, fortunately, for me, in my time, I came across a man who was prepared to partner with government to deal with the question of waste disposal in our country. And it has been one of the highlights of my government – the partnership that the government has made with the Jospong Group of Companies, headed by its Executive Chairman, Joseph Siaw Agyepong,” he said
In thanking Joseph Siaw Agyepong for his contribution “to the development of our country,” President Akufo-Addo noted that “any serious businessman that has a programme for development in his sector, and is seeking the partnership and assistance of government, this Government, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Government, will give him that support and partnership for us to develop the country together.”
The Executive Chairman of Jospong Group, Joseph Siaw Agyepong, stated, in his address indicated that “the plant set up to receive, sort, process and recycle Municipal solid waste to produce organic compost for agronomic purposes in the sub-region.”
He explained that some of the plants also possess medical waste treatment facilities to treat and safely dispose medical waste, adding that “other recoverable materials of the recycling process which include plastics and metal scraps will serve as input materials for the steel and plastic manufacturing sectors.”
He continued, “Global events of today points to your visionary leadership, when you supported the establishment of a compost plant, which had the capacity to produce fertilizer, little did we know that there will be a Russia-Ukrainian war. As we all know, the war has had serious consequences on fertilizer imports. The capacity to forsee problems and respond to them with the boldness of vision is the mark of a good leader like President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”
It is this regard that “we have to be appreciative of your visionary leadership, your passion and dedication in the environmental and sanitation sector and the private sector development, that has positioned Ghana as ahead of most developing countries when it comes to innovation and creation of solutions that deal with sanitation challenges.”
On the progress of work in the other regions, he said “we are also happy to report that in the Northern sector of the country, the sites situated in Tamale, Nalerigu, Wa and Bolga have reached advanced stages of construction and setup. Mr President, in Nalerigu, the plants have been fully installed and undergoing finishing works to make it totally complete as being witnessed here today. In the Upper West Region, Wa, the construction has been completed and awaiting installation of machinery.”