The Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly is undertaking the Collaborative -Water, Sanitation Hygiene, Co-WASH to improve upon data on the sector.

The project, with support from the Open Governance Partnership multi-donor Trust fund under the World Bank, is aimed at improving the delivery of WASH services and scaling up behavioural change campaigns in informal settlements.

Ms Thelma Ohene-Asiamah, the National OGP Point of Contact, Ghana at the project kick and inception meeting said, the Project would be delivered through a multi-stakeholder participatory approach.

The kickoff meeting brought together both the civil society, media and assembly officials to be briefed by consultants; Global Development Associated and TREND-Ghana on the tenets of the projects, timelines and deliverables within the limited time of the project.

The STMA local action plan and commitment over the period had featured sanitation and open defection as city-wide challenges that needed to be addressed.

Meanwhile, the National Ac
tion Plan had 15 commitments under the OGP pillars of transparency, Accountability, participation, innovation and Technology.

Ms Ohene-Asiamah said, the government would continue to support and be committed to achieving the OGP objectives for better governance for the benefit of all citizens.

Mr Isaac Aidoo, the STMA, OGP Point of Contact said since 2017, the OGP has taken many steps to improve upon sanitation issues in the country and was grateful that the steps had finally yielded some positive action OGP multi-donor trust fund under the World Bank.

He indicated that Data was critical to the proper planning and implementation of any development agenda and described the assistance to generate real data on WASH situations in the Metropolis as timely.

Madam Sandy Arce, Senior Operations Officer, OGP Support Unit, USA urged the team to prioritise, and liaise effectively with the multi-stakeholder forum to ensure that work was done effectively.

Mr Abdul Mumin Issah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, said it
was necessary to work hand in hand with the citizenry to build the trust needed for sustainable societies.

Mr. Aziz Mahmoud, the Project Coordinator, the Co-WASH narrated how at one time he had to roam the communities of the Metropolis to get requisite information on communities lacking the WASH infrastructure; ‘if this project had come earlier, I believe I wouldn’t have suffered the way I had, a click of a button and all information on communities, households needing WASH facilities are provided’.

He urged the team of consultants to therefore help the assembly to gather quality data for future purposes.

Source: Ghana News Agency