Abena Dapaah, Adjei Sowah must sit up

The minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah must sit up as Accra sits on tenterhooks as the capital city is bracing for the worse in the coming months on the eve of the meteorological service agency’s warning for the worse of the impending rain season.

According to the Agency, areas such as Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Weija and the Graphic Road will be the hardest hit owing to man-made factors including chocked drains and buildings blocking waterways.

The Director-General of the Ghana Meteorological Agency, Michael Tanu has urged individuals to take precautions during these period.

“We will still warn that floods are definitely possible to happen because the resilience level of Accra particularly has changed. To get flooding in Accra you need to get 80mm of rainfall but currently, 30mm of rainfall can cause flooding all because our gutters are chocked.

He added that the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) are always updated with information to enable them to prepare adequately to deal with disasters.

The warning came 4-days before heavy to mild afternoon downpour caused parts of the Ring Road Central and the President’s private residence popularly known as “Nima Flagstaff House” to experience flash flooding as a result of rubbish-choked gutter.

The above reason has necessitated the Environmental and Mining Policy Institute (EMPI) in urging the minister together with the mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah to sit up and take preventative measures rather than being idle for loss of lives and property before appearing to be acting.

EMPI reiterate that we do not as a country need the service of a soothsayer to come and tell us that we as a people are indeed sitting on a time bomb.

In light of this, EMPI would want to find out from the minister what has happened to the promise of the government tackling flooding with GHC197m that was reported in the media on Tuesday, 16 April 2019 (https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Government-tackles-flood-with-GHC197m-738875).

“The government has allocated GH¢197 million for the control of perennial flooding in Accra.

“The money is allocated to the Ministry of Works and Housing, which is responsible for flood control, to undertake various projects and works to reduce the incidence of flooding in Accra.

“The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Ms Cecilia Dapaah, made this known when she visited the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA-SWP) office at the Institute of Local Government Studies at Madina in Accra to acquaint herself with its activities.”

Again, EMPI is seeking answers from the government, on the aftermath of the Cabinet approving $200m (https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2019/October-30th/parliament-approves-200m-for-accra-floods.php) for Accra floods that was also reported in the media on 30th October, 2019.

“The Cabinet on Wednesday approved $200 million for the Accra Resilient and Integration Redevelopment Project, aimed at addressing flooding in the city.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said this at a media encounter on Wednesday. He also said the government was embarking on the project to avert further loss of lives and properties caused by floods.

“Four Ministries are spearheading this project. They include the Works and Housing Ministry, which is chairing the inter-ministerial committee on this. Sanitation and Water Resources, Zongo Development and Local Government.”

Signed

Kwaku Boateng

0246-550-550

EMPI President