The Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs at Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Emma Adwoa Appiaah Osei-Duah, has commended the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources for what she described as a fair and objective oversight exercise in the Central Region.
Speaking to journalists at Komenda after the committee’s engagements with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Ms. Osei-Duah said the exercise highlighted Zoomlion’s extensive sanitation interventions across the region.
According to her, the committee’s fact-finding mission offered Parliament firsthand insight into the company’s contributions to waste management and environmental sanitation.
“We are very happy about the work of the committee because it has exposed to Parliament the good work Zoomlion has done in the various MMDAs over the years,” she said.
She acknowledged that some operational gaps were identified during the engagements but assured that management was taking steps to address them comprehensively.
Ms. Osei-Duah also commended the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. John Oti Bless, for his fairness and honesty throughout the exercise.
She further expressed appreciation to the committee for recognising Zoomlion’s Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP) model as an innovative solution to Africa’s waste management challenges, noting that the initiative remains a promising indigenous approach to advancing the waste management agenda across the sub-region.
The Central Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Ernest Osei, also praised Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, Environmental Health Officers and Coordinating Directors for their continued collaboration in improving sanitation delivery.
He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to providing the necessary resources to tackle sanitation challenges in line with its contractual obligations.
Mr. Osei urged assemblies to promptly notify the company of sanitation concerns within their jurisdictions.
“We will continue to provide the needed resources to tackle waste challenges, and we encourage assemblies not to hesitate in drawing our attention to any pending sanitation issue,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Regional Vector Control Manager of Zoomlion, Dr. Gideon Sogbey, clarified misconceptions surrounding sanitation terminology, particularly the distinctions between fumigation, disinfection and disinfestation.
Responding to concerns raised by members of the committee regarding contractual references to fumigation, Dr. Sogbey explained that sanitation interventions are determined by prevailing conditions and the specific needs identified by assemblies.
He noted that assemblies typically request services based on public health concerns, after which Zoomlion determines the most appropriate intervention and chemical application.
“Fumigation is usually carried out in enclosed spaces and not in open areas,” he explained.
He added that in places such as markets, lorry stations and areas with stagnant water, assemblies often request disinfection, disinfestation or deratting services, depending on the nature of the sanitation challenge.
“With respect to fumigation, one cannot carry it out in open spaces. Assemblies understand these realities and request the appropriate services needed to address specific sanitation concerns,” he said.
The Parliamentary Select Committee’s tour of the Central Region forms part of its broader mandate to assess sanitation service delivery across the country and strengthen accountability within the sector.
