Demolish structures in waterways - Veep
The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has described Saturday's floods and the resultant deaths in parts of Accra as unacceptable.
He said the country could not cotinue to lose its citizens through avoidable tragedies and directed that structures in waterways should be demolished.
"We need to tackle the problem now. It is time to correct the situation,” he said.
Touring the affected areas of Mallam, New Gbawe, Kwashiebu and A Land-Awoshie in the Accra metropolis and the Ga West District in the Greater Accra Region, the Vice-President, accompanied by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I. C. Quaye, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Weija, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, and the chief executives of the affected districts, Mr Eric Busby Quartey-Papafio and Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson, the Vice-President sympathised with bereaved families and in some cases gave out envelopes suspected to contain money to the affected families.
So far, seven deaths resulting from the floods have been recorded. Four dead bodies were found at Mallam Junction, two at Kwashiebu and one at New Gbawe.
Mr Leo Quainoo, 63, a scrap dealer, who lost his wife and 25-year-old daughter to the flood waters, said he was sitting with them in the room but the flood waters entered the room and carried the three of them away but he was saved by a floating 'wawa' board and a palm tree.
Ms Bernice Bentil, the mother of a three-week-old baby who stays at Gbawe, told the Daily Graphic that her baby floated in the flood waters until some men in the area rescued it following her unceasing calls for help.
At Mallam Junction, an elderly man, Mr Osei Kwame, told the Vice-President and his entourage that drains in the area were very narrow and could not contain more water during heavy downpours.
The Vice-President interacted with women, children, men, widows and widowers who were rendered homeless by the torrential rains at the weekend.
Alhaji Mahama, outraged by the demise of seven persons, further directed that engineers, hydrologists, architects, planners and other experts conduct studies immediately so that measures would be put in place by the government to forestall the recurrence of the disaster.
The Vice-President condemned the dumping of waste in open drains and also advised against building in low lying areas in Accra.
Ms Ayorkor Botchwey, who is also a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Co-operation and NEPAD, expressed concern about the poor drainage and pressure on lands in the Ga West District in general and the Weija Constituency in particular.
The Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Stanley Adjiri-Blankson, blamed last Saturday's flooding on the total disregard for the law and indiscipline.
He emphasised that for the problem to be tackled head-on, it would be important for citizens to demonstrate a level of discipline and patriotism.
Culled from Graphic