Minority demands probe into Stan Dogbe-led flood task force

The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate dissolution of the seven-member presidential task force established to tackle Accra’s perennial flooding, arguing that Monday’s devastating floods demonstrate the committee’s failure to deliver meaningful interventions despite more than a year in operation.’

The opposition caucus has also demanded a full parliamentary investigation into the task force’s work, chaired by Deputy Chief of Staff Stan Dogbe, and urged the government to implement urgent public health measures to avert disease outbreaks following the floods, which have claimed at least 12 lives.

The task force was inaugurated by President John Dramani Mahama in March 2025 to assess flood-prone areas, coordinate government interventions and recommend long-term solutions to Accra’s persistent flooding.

However, at a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin questioned the committee’s effectiveness, noting that 15 months after its establishment, there was little evidence of its achievements or recommendations.

He argued that the scale of destruction caused by Monday’s torrential rains exposed what he described as a disconnect between government assurances and actual flood preparedness.

“Yesterday’s flooding is the clearest evidence that this task force produced no meaningful intervention on the ground. If serious drainage works, desilting or flood mitigation infrastructure had been undertaken, the impact of the rains, however heavy, would have been measurably reduced,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.

“Instead, entire neighbourhoods went underwater, exposing the gap between government rhetoric and government delivery.”

The Minority Leader called on Parliament to establish a special committee to investigate the conduct of the flood preparedness task force, as well as the ministries, departments and agencies responsible for flood prevention and disaster management.

According to him, the proposed inquiry should establish the extent of work undertaken by the committee since its inauguration and determine whether public funds allocated to it had been used effectively.

“The Minority is calling on this House to establish a parliamentary committee specifically mandated to investigate the conduct of the flood preparedness task force and the relevant government ministries and agencies in the lead-up to this disaster,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said the investigation should determine what work, if any, the task force had undertaken, the funds allocated to it and how those resources had been spent, as well as the mitigation measures that had been planned and implemented.

He further argued that the inquiry should establish why those interventions failed to prevent or significantly reduce the impact of what he described as foreseeable seasonal flooding.

“Those found responsible for negligence or dereliction of duty must be held accountable,” he stated.

Pending the outcome of the investigation, the Minority demanded that members of the presidential task force step aside from their responsibilities to ensure an impartial inquiry.

“This is not a presumption of guilt. It is a basic standard of accountability that any institution facing serious questions over its conduct should observe so that the investigation can proceed without interference and so that those under scrutiny are not left to oversee the very response to a crisis their own inaction may have worsened,” he added.

Beyond demands for accountability, the Minority expressed concern over the heightened risk of disease outbreaks in communities affected by the flooding.

The caucus called on the Minister for Health to immediately announce emergency public health measures to prevent outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, diarrhea diseases and other infections commonly associated with flooding.

The call follows warnings from health professionals, including the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, that stagnant floodwaters, contaminated drinking water and poor sanitation could trigger serious public health emergencies unless swift preventive action is taken.

The NPP’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has appealed for a united national approach to tackling Accra’s persistent flooding.

Speaking on Tuesday during a tour of flood-affected communities, Dr Bawumia said the recurring floods had become a national challenge requiring collaboration among engineers, hydrologists and other experts, irrespective of political affiliation.

“All our energies, all our talents, all the engineers, all the hydrologists, we have to bring everybody together, regardless of party, because this is for Ghana. And let us do it for Ghana. Let us come together for Ghana and solve this problem for our country,” he said.

The former Vice-President also appealed to Ghanaians to support victims of the disaster by providing immediate relief.

“I want to ask everybody, let’s do this together, and let’s provide immediate relief to the people who are affected. People need food, people don’t have clothes, people don’t have mattresses. Let us make sure that we come immediately to their aid,” he said.

He encouraged individuals, organisations and community groups to contribute whatever assistance they could.

“Everybody should do something. Myself, I will try and help in the small way I can with some of these relief items. But I think that we are a country, our people, our communities are in need, and we should all chip in to come and help them,” he added.

The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has attributed the devastating floods to unprecedented rainfall recorded in June.

Addressing Parliament yesterday, the Minister disclosed that Ghana recorded 593.2 millimetres of rainfall in June 2026, the highest monthly rainfall recorded since rainfall data collection began in 1995.

He said the exceptional rainfall volume contributed significantly to the widespread flooding across the Greater Accra Region.

Monday’s torrential rains inundated several communities, including Alajo, Adabraka, Circle, Kaneshie, Weija, Tse Addo and parts of Tema, submerging homes, businesses and major roads, while leaving thousands of residents displaced and numerous vehicles stranded.

The flooding also triggered a fire outbreak in the Odawna area.

The government has confirmed that at least 12 people lost their lives, while several others remain missing. The Ministry for the Interior has indicated that thousands of households have been affected as emergency services continue rescue, relief and recovery operations.

The disaster has reignited national debate over the effectiveness of flood mitigation measures, with renewed calls for comprehensive drainage improvements, stricter enforcement of planning regulations and stronger accountability in addressing Ghana’s recurring flooding crisis.