President directs Zoomlion to activate 6 waste transfer stations
President John Dramani Mahama has directed waste management giant Zoomlion Ghana Limited to immediately activate six waste transfer stations across Accra as part of efforts to improve sanitation in the capital.
The directive was given during the monthly National Sanitation Exercise on Saturday, where the President joined residents and sanitation workers to clean parts of the city. Pictures from the exercise showed the President personally scooping sand and debris from choked drains.
Speaking to the media, the President said the waste transfer stations are critical to making waste collection faster, more organized, and cost-effective. He noted that delays in transporting waste from neighborhoods to final disposal sites have contributed to the persistent sanitation challenges in Accra.
“These transfer stations will serve as hubs where waste can be consolidated before being moved to engineered landfills. I am directing Zoomlion to activate all six stations without delay,” the President stated.
Officials from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources explained that the stations, located in strategic parts of the city, have been completed but are yet to be fully operationalized. Once activated, they are expected to reduce the time trucks spend in traffic and increase the number of trips made daily.
Zoomlion management welcomed the directive and pledged to work with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to ensure the facilities are staffed and equipped immediately. The President also called on households and businesses to segregate waste at source and desist from dumping refuse in drains and unauthorized places. He stressed that the government alone cannot solve the sanitation problem without a change in public attitude.
Environmental experts say activating the transfer stations could significantly reduce indiscriminate dumping and improve the turnaround time for waste trucks. Residents in areas like Kaneshie, Madina, and Tema Station have long complained of heaps of uncollected waste.
The National Sanitation Exercise continues to be used as a platform to mobilize citizens and highlight the government’s commitment to making Accra the cleanest city in Africa.
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