Minority demands accountability of Mahama's GH¢300m flood relief package

The Minority in Parliament has called for full transparency and parliamentary oversight over President John Dramani Mahama's GH¢300 million emergency flood relief package, demanding a detailed breakdown of how every cedi will be spent.

The demand follows the President's directive for the release of GH¢300 million from the Contingency Fund to support flood relief and mitigation efforts after the devastating floods that hit parts of Accra and other communities in southern Ghana following hours of heavy rainfall on Monday, June 29.

According to the Presidency, GH¢150 million has been allocated for immediate relief for flood victims, while the remaining GH¢150 million will finance flood mitigation measures.

Addressing journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, June 30, Minority Leader Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin said while the Minority supports efforts to assist flood victims, Parliament must be furnished with a comprehensive account of how the funds will be disbursed and managed.

"The Minority demands detailed, itemised reporting to this House on how the full GH¢300 million will be disbursed and spent, broken down by recipient communities, projects and contractors where applicable, together with documentary evidence of full compliance with the Public Financial Management Act and all other applicable transparency and procurement requirements," he said.

Osahen Afenyo-Markin stressed that the reporting should clearly distinguish between the GH¢150 million allocated for direct relief and the GH¢150 million set aside for mitigation works, with regular updates provided to Parliament until the funds are fully accounted for.

He also questioned the allocation for desilting activities, arguing that an earlier government task force established for the same purpose had not accounted for its expenditure.

The Minority Leader further insisted that the intervention should not be limited to the national capital, noting that several other regions had also suffered flooding in recent weeks.

"Flooding in recent weeks has also affected communities in the Western, Central, Eastern, Volta and Ashanti regions, and the Minority insists that the GH¢300 million package be applied equitably across all affected regions, not concentrated solely on the national capital because it draws the most media attention," he stated.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has said the funds will support urgent relief operations for affected communities and finance measures aimed at reducing the impact of future flooding.

President Mahama has also directed the deployment of personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service to assist the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other security agencies in ongoing rescue and relief operations.