The 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.
Mr Ayariga made the call when the leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana paid a courtesy call on him in Accra to discuss issues of mutual interest, including sanitation, education, healthcare, religious tolerance and the National Cathedral.
Sanitation emerged as a major focus of the engagement, with the Minister stressing the need for a change in public attitudes towards waste management and greater responsibility at the household and community levels.
He advocated waste separation at source and proposed that households use at least three dustbins to enable them to properly separate different types of waste before collection.
Mr Ayariga 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 expressed its readiness to partner the Ministry through its Environmental Care and Cleanliness Programme and support initiatives aimed at improving sanitation across the country.
The National Cathedral was also discussed, with the Christian Council expressing its willingness to contribute to efforts to complete the project.
The Council’s General Secretary, Rev. Dr Cyril Fayose, said the Christian community was prepared to mobilise resources both locally and internationally to support the project.
He, however, appealed to government to help create the conditions necessary for the project to progress.
In response, Mr Ayariga said the concerns surrounding the National Cathedral should be addressed through dialogue and consensus, particularly issues relating to its location, cost and financing.
He clarified that the government was not opposed to Ghana having a National Cathedral but stressed the need for stakeholders within the Christian community to develop a common position on how the project should proceed.
The Minister said greater cooperation between government and religious organisations remained essential to addressing national challenges and promoting sustainable development.
