The opposition New Patriotic Party has called on the government to take what it describes as a more coordinated and decisive approach to flood management, accusing the administration of failing to effectively address the country’s recurring flooding challenges.
In a press release issued on Monday, June 29, the NPP expressed sympathy to thousands of Ghanaians affected by flooding following heavy rains and urged the government to “stop paying lip service to the urgent flood control needs of the country and act with a sense of seriousness to deal with the situation.”
The party said several parts of Accra, including the N1 Highway, Apenkwa, Achimota, Kaneshie, Weija, Spintex, Darkuman Junction and the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, were affected by flooding on Monday.
According to the NPP, the flooding demonstrates what it described as shortcomings in the government’s flood management strategy.
The party argued that the current administrative arrangement, which places aspects of flood management under both the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, has created uncertainty over responsibilities.
“The result is not collaboration. It is a turf war. Two ministers fighting for space, for cameras, for credit while Accra drowns,” the statement said.
The NPP also questioned the decision to have Deputy Chief of Staff Stan Dogbe coordinate the government’s Anti-Flood Task Force, arguing that he lacks the ministerial authority to direct the institutions involved in flood response.
“You cannot put a Deputy Chief of Staff over sitting ministers and expect a functional chain of command. It does not work. It has not worked. Accra is paying the price,” the party stated.
The opposition further alleged that some anti-flood interventions announced by the government have either not been implemented or have been poorly executed, and claimed that funding for flood mitigation programmes has been delayed.
It also criticised remarks it attributed to President John Dramani Mahama during a town hall meeting in London, where it said the President linked flooding partly to poor environmental practices by residents.
“We reject that framing entirely. Ghanaians are tired of being told the fight against flooding is a ‘shared responsibility’ every time the rains come. Shared responsibility is not an excuse to avoid accountability,” the statement said.
The NPP called on the government to consolidate flood management under a single ministry, appoint an empowered minister to lead flood response efforts, and provide a public account of the work undertaken by the Anti-Flood Task Force, including the use of its budget and the outcomes of aerial surveillance activities.
“Stop redirecting blame to citizens and take personal responsibility for the governance architecture he designed and that is failing Ghana,” the party stated.
The NPP also urged the government to work with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, as well as technical experts, to strengthen land-use planning, sanitation management and drainage infrastructure to reduce the impact of flooding.
“The NPP stands with every family displaced today. We will continue to hold this government and this President accountable. Not seasonally, but consistently,” the statement, signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, concluded.
