Stop redirecting blame to citizens and address flooding crisis — NPP tells Mahama
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to take responsibility for the country's recurring flooding challenges.
The call comes after heavy rains on Monday, June 29, triggered flooding in several parts of the country, particularly Accra, resulting in loss of lives, disruption of movement and damage to property.
Following an aerial inspection of the affected areas, President Mahama attributed part of the flooding to changing climatic conditions and human behaviour, arguing that illegal structures in waterways and poor environmental practices continue to worsen the situation.
In a statement issued on the same day, the main opposition party accused the government of focusing on public relations instead of implementing effective flood control measures.
"We reject that framing entirely! Ghanaians are tired of being told the fight against flooding is a 'shared responsibility' every time the rains come. Shared responsibility is not an excuse to avoid accountability. A government that cannot even decide who is in charge of flood management, let alone fix it, has failed in its most basic duty," the NPP said.
"Stop redirecting blame to citizens and take personal responsibility for the governance architecture he designed and that is failing Ghana," the statement added.
The party further criticised the government's governance structure for flood management, claiming that dividing responsibility between the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources has created confusion and weakened the country's response to flooding.
It also questioned the role of Deputy Chief of Staff Stan Dogbe in coordinating flood response, arguing that he lacks the authority to direct ministers or lead a national disaster response.
The NPP further alleged that delays in the release of funds for flood mitigation programmes have affected the implementation of anti-flood interventions.
The party called on President Mahama to consolidate flood management under a single ministry, appoint an empowered minister to lead the response, publicly account for the activities and expenditure of the anti-flood task force, and work with district assemblies and experts to address land use, sanitation and drainage challenges.