Delayed initiatives by Ghana government to tackle natural disasters

Over the years, natural disasters have claimed many lives of Ghanaians and destroyed properties worth millions of cedis.

Common disasters in the country are perennial flooding, fire outbreaks, tidal waves, and earth tremors.

The government of Ghana has taken steps to control and reduce the impact of natural disasters in the country through policies and initiatives.

However, some of these policies and initiatives are either not implemented at all or on time defeating the purpose they’re supposed to serve.

Draining of key water outlets ahead of rainy season

The Ministry of Works and Housing did not receive GH¢523 million allocated to it by the government to drain key water outlets ahead of the rainy season.

Member of Parliament for the Bodi constituency in the Western Region, Sampson Ahi disclosed this to GhanaWeb on October 29 2019.

“In May 2019, the ministry has put in a request to the Minister of Finance to release that amount so that they can undertake all the drainage de-silting in Accra, and parts of Tema. If you refuse to release the money for the ministry, how do you expect them to de-silt choked gutters?” he questioned.

The GH¢523m is part of the $200 million World Bank funded project to tackle flooding in Accra, which was approved by cabinet on 30th October 2019, months after the rainy season had already begun and flooding had resulted in the deaths of many people.

Sea defence projects delay

The Ghana sea defence project which was created to prevent the destruction by tidal waves in the coastal areas was caught in the middle of a power transition between the previous and current administrations.

The Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Eugene Boakye Antwi, assured in November 2017, that the project would not be abandoned by the NPP government just because the NDC government has left power.

“The Ministry under the able leadership of honourable Samuel Atta Akyea visited all the Sea Defence projects that we inherited under the previous administration. We have been to Berekuso, New Takoradi, Adjoa and all the projects that we have inherited and what I can categorically say is that, we have not abandoned any of these projects,” he said.

He admitted that one of the reasons for the delay of the project was that payment to contractors working on the project had been “lacking over the past month or two”.

The project is yet to be completed as some areas have still not been tackled.

‘Incomplete’ government landslide control project

The hilly terrain on the Aburi road has been noted for incidents of falling rocks that endanger both vehicles and human lives.

The most recent incident on the stretch occurred in October 2019 when a portion of the road between Peduase Lodge and Ayi Mensah experienced a mudslide.

In 2016, the government initiated road work project estimated at GH¢12 million on sections of that stretch to put a steel mesh over the slope to be held by anchor bolts.

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Attah, stated that the project faced some challenges and was interrupted.

“The government at that time did not pay the contractor a pesewa… we came and paid the first tranche to him that made him do what he has done. The job had to stall for many months, and he had no money to go on until we paid the first tranche to him. He started going back and used part of the money to bring some items. There are some imported components of the materials that they are using so he came in from an extension and we had no choice but to extend the time,” he said.

The recent landslide on the road shows how the project was incomplete and unsuccessful.