At the top of the priorities list of the Ministry of Local government is the issue of sanitation, sector minister, Akwasi Oppong-Fosu has said.   Delivering his address at the opening of the three-day 24th Mole Conference in Kumasi on Wednesday, the minister said sanitation will form the basis on which his tenure of office would be assessed.   He said the bulk of the work will however be done by the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) as the various localities fall under their jurisdictions.   “I have therefore told the Municipal Metropolitan and District Chief Executives that any of them who will under-perform and fail to deliver on sanitation will go before I go,” the minister stated.   The minister cited the lack of enforcement of laws as one of the debilitating factors against sanitation delivery in Ghana. He said this system is fostered through the politicization of issues in Ghana.   “People break the law and when they are apprehended, they quickly assume political tags of foot-soldiers and opposition leaders, so they can escape prosecution,” the minister observed.   He cautioned that, unless this indiscipline was rooted out no laws could be enforced in the country.   “Sanitation-related diseases do not know any political boundaries so we need to deal with the canker of indiscipline in the sector as well as deal with the politicization of issues so that we can enforce policies and laws in Ghana,” Oppong-stressed.   Delivering the Theme Address, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural    Resources, Prof.Esi Awuah  observed that although private sector participation in the sanitation has increased, work could not progress as expected since bribery, corruption, nepotism  and tribalism have caused the award of contracts to incompetent people in the sector.   The Vice Chancellor expressed worry that countries were becoming dependent on Development Partners (DPs) for service delivery in the sector since governments themselves have low knowledge in sanitation.   She proposed that best sanitation practices be scaled up including waste sorting and making use of them as “there is nothing like waste.”   Ghana has however been able to achieve only 15 percent with just over two years left to reach the target date of 2015.    The 24th Mole Conference is on the theme “Building Effective Partnerships for Scaling up Sustainable Sanitation  Services in Ghana.”   It aims at seeking ways of to build stronger collaboration among all stakeholders for a more efficient sanitation service delivery as Ghana’s sanitation coverage still lags behind, recording 15 percent nationwide coverage, just two years ahead of the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).   The MGD-7 sets a target of 54 percent for developing countries to achieve in sanitation coverage, which includes access to hygienic toilets for households and institutions, across the country.  
Justice Lee Adoboe/GWJN