Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly tops 2nd Baobab District WASH Awards
The Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly in the Northern Region was adjudged the Overall Best at the Second Baobab District WASH Awards 2024 in Accra last Friday.
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The assembly beat 30 other metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies from six regions in the northern and the Oti regions for its commitment to delivering sustainable WASH services for the well-being of people in the area.
It took home a motorbike, two laptops, two tablets, a plaque and a citation.
The assembly will also be connected to some corporate entities to engage in possible partnerships for WASH services and will participate in international WASH conferences to learn and present the best WASH practices' impact.
The Mion District Assembly emerged as the First Runner-Up, while the Karaga District Assembly took the Second Runner-Up position. They both received a motorbike, tablet and plaque each.
The award recognises not just good, successful and effective performance as normally expected of a local government authority but also the achievement of extraordinary outcomes that has a significant, positive impact on the delivery of sustainable WASH services for the residents.
Other winners
In the general category, the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly also won the Leadership and Coordination Award, with the Wa East District, Mion District and Wa Municipal assemblies winning the WASH Prioritisation and Financing, Regulation and Enforcement, as well as WASH Services Delivery categories respectively.
The Yendi Municipal Assembly emerged as the Best in Performance and National Assessment, while the East Mamprusi Municipal Assembly took the Best in Sustainability.
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The Mamprugu Moagduri and Karaga District Assembly were adjudged the best in Water Quality and Institutional Capacity respectively.
The event was held on the theme: “Defining the path for water, sanitation and hygiene as a national development priority”.
It formed part of the USAID Enhancing WASH Activity, which is being implemented by the Global Community in partnership with World Vision Ghana, both non-governmental organisations.
Commendable ingenuity
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, commended USAID, World Vision Ghana and Global Communities for their ingenuity and ensuring that “this beautiful idea” of motivating districts to deliver on their statutory mandate was kept alive.
“This will in no small way facilitate access and to use sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as products in these targets of northern Ghana and the Oti regions,” she said.
The minister further urged assemblies to use the WASH programme to improve the health of children and mothers and to also address the risk factors in the environment that had the potential of barring them from benefiting from improved health.
Commitment
In a speech read on her behalf, the National Director of World Vision Ghana, Laura Cristina Del Valle, said World Vision believed that nothing could be more important to a child’s well-being than access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene.
“We are committed to making a difference by bringing hope, joy and justice to all children and their families, especially the most vulnerable,” she said.
Strong partnership
The acting Mission Director of USAID, Grace Lang, said the US was Ghana’s largest bilateral development partner.
In 2023, she said bilateral support through the USAID totalled over $140 million dedicated to supporting WASH, economic growth, agriculture, health, education and others.
“We believe that real, lasting change is built on the foundations of strong partnership.
“The US remains committed to facilitating access to clean water and sanitation in collaboration with Ghanaian stakeholders as this aligns with global efforts to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
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The Chief of Party of Global Communities, Dominic Osei, said ensuring that every community had access to sustainable and quality WASH service was essential for the development of the country, particularly in the most deprived regions.
“With strong leadership and focused efforts, we can overcome barriers and create lasting impact for our communities,” he said.