The Zambian High Commissioner to Ghana, His Excellency Richard Mwanza has paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Hon Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, to deepen bilateral relations between Accra and Lusaka.
H.E Richard Mwanza who was accompanied by Her Excellency Phyllis Chuma Chilembe, Deputy High Commissioner and Madam Hellen Zulu Masongo, Frist Secretary, also used the opportunity to congratulate the new Mayor of Accra on her appointment as the first female to occupy the position after 125 years.
Interacting with the Mayor, Richard Mwanza cited the long relationship between Ghana and Zambia which dates back to the days of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and proposed a sister city relationship between the city of Accra and Lusaka, learn best practices, foster economic development as well as create significant business opportunities for both cities.
He also commended the AMA for its efforts towards ensuring environmental cleanliness citing the Operation Clean Your Frontage as an initiative worth commending.
“We are happy and wish to commend your office for the various sanitation programmes and the Operation Clean Your Frontage ” Campaign geared towards ensuring cleanliness in the city,” he said.
Mayor Sackey who warmly received the High Commissioner welcomed the idea to establish a sister city relation between Accra and Lusaka reiterating that the relationship would help foster development as well as create significant business opportunities for both cities.
She stressed the importance of sister city relations and admonished cities in Africa to connect to learn best practices and build a prosperous Africa.
Touching on issues of sanitation the Mayor outlined some initiatives and campaigns aimed at ensuring environmental cleanliness some of which include Operation Clean Your Frontage, the provision of waste bins to residents and the integration of informal waste collectors in the Assembly’s waste management chain among others.
She reiterated that cleaning the environment continued to be the primary goal of the President hence the enthusiasm to make Accra the Cleanest City.
The Mayor also hinted at plans by the Assembly to provide shelters adding that the AMA was collaborating with some Non Governmental Organisations to provide vocational skills to head porters within the metropolis to help improve their economic and social lives.
The two leaders also discussed issues of climate change and stressed the need to plant more trees to help mitigate its effects.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
