The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has directed the MMDCEs to remove all obstructions hindering the free flow of water in Accra.
Commenting on the recent floods which has destroyed numerous properties in the last three days, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the directive must be undertaken immediately to help the situation during this rainy period.
The President further instructed that there should be strict adherence by developers to the planning laws of the nation and instructed that authorities should sanction their staff who issue permits to developers who build structures in unauthorized locations. He stated that the sanctions should serve as a deterrent to those who seek to engage in such acts.
“It’s obvious from recent events that more needs to be done to deal with the situation permanently. As it has been rightly indicated by the hard work of the Minister for Works and Housing, the Honorable Francis Asenso Boakye, government will continue to work towards the day when Ghanaians, especially those in Accra, will live in calm and tranquility through the rainy season. The MMDCE’s have been charged to move obstructions for free flow of water as well as development along water ways removed immediately.”
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
To ensure these directives are strictly complied to, the President revealed that he has established a monitoring unit at Jubilee House to ensure that the directives are followed. He noted that they will be reporting directly to him on the progress of the implementation of these measures.
MMDCE’s will be held accountable
President Akufo-Addo further cautioned the MMDCE’s that they will be held accountable for any form of breaches that takes place and results in flooding. “As President of the Republic, I will not allow the selfish acts of a few to jeopardize the collective futures of the rest of us.”
President Akufo-Addo stated that whiles government does its part, it cannot overlook the negative effects of dumping of refuse into open drains by some unpatriotic citizens. Regardless of the investment made in the construction of the engineered drains, the President stated that the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste into open drains and channels will reduce the nation’s capacity to end the perennial problem of flooding.
Meanwhile, Civil Engineer, Abdulai Mahama, has called for the amendment of existing by-laws to ensure that home owners build without using concrete floors. He believes this measure if adopted, can significantly curtail flooding in the country.
Abdulai Mahama noted that in designing and building houses, people are disregarding infiltration of water into the soil. As a result, he said the populace is generating 100 times volumes of water which can be gotten rid of if there were fewer houses with concrete floors in the country.
The Engineer stated that every house can allow the infiltration of 1,000 liters water into the soil if they are constructed without concrete floors.
Abdulai Mahama averred that if nation doesn’t go back to amend its by-laws to reduce the hard surface that allows everyone to concrete or asphalt their homes, the flooding menace will persist.
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