The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources has refuted claims that it has misused US$150 million allocated by the World Bank for desilting major drains in Accra under the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development (GARID) Project.
The Ministry issued a statement in response to allegations made by former President John Mahama, clarifying its role and expenditure under the project.
The Ministry emphasized that the total allocation of $150 million referenced is for the entire GARID Project, which involves three ministries managing different components.
The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources is responsible for “Component 2,” which focuses on Solid Waste Management Capacity Improvements to reduce solid waste entering the Odaw River.
The statement dismissed the claims of overspending and stressed that the whole allocation for Component 2 is $42.2 million, and the Ministry has only spent $5.1 million so far.
The Ministry further clarified the objectives of Component 2, which are divided into four sub-components:
– Community-based solid waste management interventions and community campaigns
– Waste transfer stations, materials recovery facilities, and a center of excellence for solid waste management
– Capping of old dump sites
– Extending final disposal capacity for the Greater Accra Region
In line with these objectives, the Ministry has supported 17 Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies with equipment such as 17 compaction trucks, 55 motorcycles for monitoring, motorized sprayers for disinfestation of markets and drains, and various cleaning tools.
According to the Ministry, a large-scale operation is currently underway to remove waste from hotspots along the Odaw River, a project aimed at addressing uncollected waste at undesignated sites.
“The information about the Ministry’s role in the GARID Project is available, and we are ready to assist any individual or group with the necessary details,” the Ministry stated.