Presby Moderator Endorses Reintroduction of National Sanitation Day

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opoku Kwakye, has thrown his full support behind the reintroduction of the National Sanitation Day (NSD), describing it as a crucial initiative that will significantly improve hygiene and public health across the country.

He made the remarks during a high-level engagement with the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, at the headquarters of the Church in Accra. The visit formed part of broader stakeholder consultations ahead of the official relaunch and observance of the National Sanitation Day, scheduled for Saturday, 3rd May 2025.

“We all talk about the good old days, but very few of us are ready to take the right steps,” the Moderator remarked. “If we allow discipline to take its rightful place in our schools and communities, sanitation will no longer be our problem.”

Rt. Rev. Dr. Opoku Kwakye emphasized the role of religious institutions and leadership in instilling a culture of cleanliness and civic responsibility, urging all Presbyterians across the country to participate fully in the renewed effort.

“I endorse the initiative and charge all districts, congregations, and preaching points of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana to take active part in ensuring that this does not become a one-day event, but a continuous lifestyle of environmental responsibility,” he stated.

He further lauded government’s recent efforts to strengthen partnerships with faith-based organizations in education, particularly through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Christian Council on the management of mission schools. According to him, such collaboration will allow churches to shape the next generation of leaders with values of discipline, responsibility, and national pride.

Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, in his remarks, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a cleaner Ghana through inclusive stakeholder participation. The courtesy call formed part of a series of strategic engagements with religious and traditional leaders ahead of the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day, a key component of Ghana’s sanitation and environmental sustainability agenda.

The initiative is expected to mobilize communities, schools, churches, mosques, civil society, and all relevant institutions to embrace monthly sanitation activities aimed at restoring environmental cleanliness and improving public health outcomes nationwide.

Source: Matilda Tettey/Darling Maame Efua Cann

(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, has called for stronger cooperation between Ghana and Singapore, especially in the areas of education, trade, and investment. He made the request when he received the Singapore Non-Resident Representative of Singapore to Palestine, and High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Hawazi Daipi, during a courtesy call at the Ministry.

Welcoming the High Commissioner, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim said Ghana values its long-standing relationship with Singapore. He recalled that Ghana and Singapore have had strong ties since the days of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He added that Ghana continues to learn from Singapore and other countries that started their development journey around the same time.

The Minister asked the High Commissioner to consider the possibility of offering scholarships to Ghanaian students to study in Singapore. He said areas such as marketing, logistics, and port management are key for Ghana’s development, and Singapore has expertise in those fields. “If even 10 Ghanaian students are given the chance to study in these areas each year, it will go a long way to support Ghana’s development,” he said.

He also suggested that such a scholarship initiative could be done in partnership with the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs.

The Chief Director of the Ministry added that some Ghanaian government officials have already benefitted from short-term training programmes in Singapore in areas like public policy, project management, and human resource development. He called for the expansion of such support to cover young Ghanaians who want to study in areas where Singapore has strengths, especially port and harbor operations.

In response, Mr. Hawazi said Singapore has over the years trained about 750 Ghanaian civil servants through various programmes. He said Singapore would share more information about its available training programmes, and encouraged more Ghanaian officials to take part.

The Minister thanked the High Commissioner and said Ghana looks forward to closer cooperation in the years ahead.

Source: Matilda Tettey/Darling Maame Efua Cann

(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)

On April 16, 2025, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has held a strategic engagement with a visiting military delegation, providing insight into Ghana’s decentralization journey and local government system. The meeting formed part of ongoing efforts to promote inter-institutional cooperation and share Ghana’s experiences with international partners.

Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr. Amin Abdul-Rahaman, expressed appreciation for the visit and emphasized Ghana’s longstanding commitment to decentralization and grassroots governance. He noted that Ghana’s local government system has evolved significantly over the past three decades, marked by key policy reforms and institutional development.

“We have made considerable progress over the last 30 to 40 years in shaping a responsive and inclusive local governance system,” Mr. Abdul-Rahaman stated. “Decentralization in Ghana is not an event but a continuous process. We remain committed to refining it to ensure it delivers real value to communities, especially at the grassroots level.”

He acknowledged that while progress has been made, challenges still exist, particularly in coordinating the roles of various public institutions and enhancing service delivery. However, he underscored the country’s resolve to overcome these challenges through shared learning, innovation, and commitment to reform.

Following his remarks, Mr. Abdul-Rahaman invited the Director in charge of Local Governance and Decentralisation, Pln. Seth Passah, to deliver a comprehensive presentation on Ghana’s local government architecture.

In his presentation, Pln. Passah elaborated on the legal and institutional foundations of Ghana’s decentralization system, guided by the 1992 Constitution and the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936). He explained that Ghana operates a three-tier structure comprising the central government, regional coordinating councils, and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), with the district assemblies serving as the core planning and implementation authorities at the local level.

“Our laws recognize the district assemblies as the only planning authorities within their jurisdictions. Any agency operating at the local level must engage with them in planning and executing development programmes,” Pln. Passah emphasized.

He also outlined the role of the Ministry as a policy and coordination hub for local governance, tasked with ensuring that all decentralization-related activities are aligned with national objectives. Notably, he highlighted the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralization (IMCC), chaired by the President of the Republic of Ghana, as a strategic mechanism to drive cross-sectoral collaboration and ensure compliance with decentralization mandates across government institutions.

The engagement ended with an interactive session, during which both parties exchanged ideas on strengthening institutional frameworks, deepening decentralization, and fostering effective service delivery through knowledge exchange.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to partnerships that enhance mutual learning and further Ghana’s local governance agenda.

Source: Matilda Tettey/Darling Maame Efua Cann

(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)