Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has called for stronger collaboration between government and faith-based organisations to address key national development challenges, particularly sanitation.
He made the call when the leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana paid a courtesy call on him in Accra to discuss areas of mutual interest, including sanitation, education, healthcare, religious tolerance and the National Cathedral.
Mr Ayariga said improving sanitation would require a change in public attitudes towards waste management, with greater responsibility at the household and community levels.
He advocated waste separation at source and proposed that households use at least three dustbins to facilitate proper segregation and disposal of waste.
He also called for renewed collaboration with churches to promote sanitation and support efforts to revive and strengthen the National Sanitation Day initiative.
The Christian Council, for its part, expressed readiness to work with the Ministry through its Environmental Care and Cleanliness Programme and support initiatives aimed at improving sanitation across the country.
The National Cathedral also featured prominently in the discussions, with the Council expressing its willingness to help mobilise resources locally and internationally towards the completion of the project.
The Council’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr Cyril Fayose, appealed to government to create the necessary conditions for the project to move forward, while Mr Ayariga said concerns surrounding the Cathedral should be addressed through dialogue and consensus.
He explained that government was not opposed to Ghana having a National Cathedral but stressed the need for stakeholders within the Christian community to reach a common position on key issues, including its location, cost and financing.
