'Politicians in the Fourth Republic have failed us on flooding' — Dr. Asah-Asante

Political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, has criticised successive governments for failing to address Ghana's recurring flooding problem.

His comments follow Monday's heavy rains, which caused severe flooding in parts of Accra and other communities, claiming lives, destroying property and disrupting economic activities.

The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has disclosed that the floods displaced more than 38,000 people, claimed 12 lives and left seven others missing across several parts of the country.

Reacting to this, Dr. Asah-Asante noted that the country's persistent flooding is the result of insincere political rhetoric, poor planning, weak policy implementation and the failure of state institutions to enforce building regulations.

He also blamed poor sanitation practices, including indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains, for worsening the crisis.

Speaking on JoyNews' AM Show on Wednesday, July 1, Dr. Asah-Asante said both major political parties have treated the flooding challenge as a campaign issue instead of pursuing long-term solutions.

"Politicians in the Fourth Republic have failed us, all of them without exception, because this problem... NDC and NPP, they've come to power, they've paid lip service to it, and here we are. So, I am sick and tired about all the things that I've been hearing within the system," he noted.

He faulted authorities responsible for physical planning and development control, saying they continue to issue permits for structures in inappropriate locations only to later demolish them when disasters occur.

The political scientist stressed that governments must adopt effective policies, monitor their implementation and hold public officials accountable instead of allowing the same problems to recur year after year.

"We have to make sure that proper policies are put into manifestos, and then we scrutinize them, so that when they come to power, we ensure that those policies are being implemented to the letter... If you don't fix this in your time, forget about the next election," he said.