The Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), the Industrial Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly have teamed up to examine proposals to possibly develop an energy generating system from modern waste treatment and recycling plants.

Sheikh Ibrahim Codjoe Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister said on Tuesday it was envisaged that the system would also help manage waste efficiently. He announced further that proposal from several local and foreign investors on waste recycling were being examined to make firm recommendations to them.

Sheikh Quaye was speaking in Accra at a media encounter dubbed: "Meet the Press", initiated by the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs. A mini-fair to showcase products from the region was also put up aside the press encounter.

Minister said finding a landfill site for solid waste disposal in Accra was one of the biggest challenges of the government when it assumed office in January 2001. This, he said, was because the Mallam site for solid waste disposal had to be closed down.

He said the Oblogo Landfill Site, which was commissioned in early this year would serve the city of Accra at least for the next one-and -half years. Prior to the acquisition of the Oblogo Site, a temporary landfill site at Gbawe Jaman, which was acquired through the efforts of the RCC had to be decommissioned after four months of use.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister announced that a more permanent landfill site was to be constructed at Kwabenya and indicated that if there were no impediments, the project was be completed by the end of next year.

He said the RCC, in collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) had re-organised the membership of the AMA Task Force and as a result improved sanitation around the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and its environs and other ceremonial roads.

He called for an increase in the number of the Task Force personnel to reach the Co-ordinating Council's focus on sanitation management and to keep the cities clean. Sheikh Quaye announced that funds had been made available for a joint project between RCC Ghana Tourist Board to develop historical sites and monuments into first class tourist sites next year and mentioned specifically the National Theatre, the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) as some of the projects.

He said a re-development of the historical James Town, with its forts and castles was underway and prisoners in the Ussher Fort Prison had been relocated to give way for its development as a first class tourist site.

He deplored the numerous chieftaincy and land disputes in the region, and said they were the greatest "headache in the region apart from armed robbery and crime." "From Langma to Tema, Ada, Dodowa and Amasaman, there appears to be no single town or clan without a chieftaincy or land dispute."

The Regional Minister said the flashpoints, which kept the security agencies unnecessarily busy were Weija, Oblogo, Bortianor, Aplaku, Oshieye, Domeabra, Manhean and Oduman.

The rest were Ablekuma, Danchira, Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua, Tema, Papase, Achiaman, Pokuase and "recently Prampram, Shai and to some extent Ada." Sheikh Quaye identified disrespect for stool elders and non-availability of lists of accredited kingmakers and their functions, and documents on established procedures for election of traditional leaders, among the causes of the disputes.

He said aside, the loss of lives and property, the disputes creates a state of insecurity and make it difficult for people to go about their normal day-to-day activities. Also they result in the diversion of resources to resolve conflicts to the detriment of development projects.

He spoke of the establishment of the Permanent Conflict Resolution and Management Committee and asked the traditional rulers and other stakeholders to lend their support to Government's efforts at promoting peace in the region.