Flood Politics…Lying Officials

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga's claim that successive governments have failed to address the perennial flooding in Accra and so the problem lies with the people makes interesting observation.

The defeatist and uncaring remark by the legislator comes on the heels of President John Mahama and his discredited so-called seven-member Committee on Floods who were having a jolly chopper ride in the skies of Accra.

Such irritating remark from a government official does not assuage the pain being endured by victims of the floods in Accra.

The statistics of those who perished in the deluges could be higher than what officialdom has put out. It is therefore unfortunate that the Majority Leader would be so unsympathetic to the plight of the many vulnerable people who are yet to commence nursing their wounds as occasioned by the floods.

Response to Accra's floods have varied between the two dominant parties in the country, and this we would state unequivocally.

While the past government was innovative, having come out with the only flood intervention policy in the country, the incumbent plays politics with the subject amidst a haranguing blame-game.

The World Bank's supported Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project initiated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration remains the only government flood intervention policy in this country.

The foregone was acknowledged by former Local Government Minister Martin Korsah during a media interview yesterday.

The sophisticated engineering interventions contained in the project would have reduced flood risks in the nation's capital to near zero. To deny the originators of the project the deserving credit, it was abandoned as did other game-changing initiatives by the erstwhile government.

The part of the $350 million World Bank funds saw the construction of major storm drains and other interventions in identifiable spots such as Achimota, Kaneshie among others. This followed critical engineering assessment of the flood prone areas and the tributaries of the Odaw River and their impact on flooding in the national capital. This project which was in an advanced stage when the NPP exited government, has a balance of $200 million idling in the state kitty.

It is instructive that this balance has been acknowledged during a deliberation on the subject by a relevant parliamentary committee.

President John Mahama's claim therefore that the money was squandered has been exposed to be far from the truth.

There is nothing new in government response so far to Accra's flooding save the order by the President for the release GH¢350 million as support to the victims of the floods and a call for a national day of prayers.

As for the so-called order or directives for the demolishing of structures on waterways by the President, it was being done even before the order and with zero effects.

Victims of the 2015 Circle fire and water disaster are yet to be paid the promised government compensation. During the recent anniversary of the disaster, the surviving victims had cause to cry out about the unfulfilled promise by the same National Democratic Congress (NDC) government which made the promise when over a hundred lives perished and property destroyed.

Would it be morally acceptable to ignore the 2015 disaster victims and pay the current ones?

We doubt whether those assigned the task of disbursing the mouth-watering GH¢350 million would do a good job without leaving a stain for auditors to expose.

Let us watch out for a scandal for the promised relief. Sedina Tamakloe and the compensation for the victims of the Kantamanto Market fire comes to mind. NDC government for us.