Mahama who is supposed to act on flooding is now complaining — Kwasi Kwarteng

A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Communications Team, Kwasi Kwarteng, has criticised President John Dramani Mahama's handling of the country's recurring flooding.

His comments follow heavy rains on Monday , June 29, 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.

Following an aerial assessment of the affected areas, President Mahama attributed the flooding partly to climate change, poor sanitation and illegal developments on waterways.

Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV's Good Morning Ghana programme on Thursday, July 2, Kwasi Kwarteng said Ghanaians affected by the disaster expect decisive action from government rather than explanations for the causes of the flooding.

"So, what we are witnessing, especially with President Mahama's attitude, is that now the president, who is supposed to act, has now become the complainant in a flood situation. Now the citizens who need help have now become the accused because we are now seeing that they say citizens are the ones whose behaviour is causing that," he said.

Kwarteng argued that flooding is largely a result of weak institutions and poor enforcement of planning regulations, noting that many countries have people who violate planning laws but do not experience flooding on the same scale because authorities strictly enforce the rules.

"The answer is that in those particular countries there is enforcement and compliance... when it comes to the conversation about floods, it has more to do with strong institutions and strong systems. For me, blaming citizens has always been a convenient way," he stated.

He, however, stressed that the flooding crisis should not be politicised, insisting that it is neither an NDC nor an NPP problem but a longstanding national challenge.

According to him, while some responsibility lies with individuals who flout planning regulations, the ultimate responsibility rests with political leaders and state institutions that have failed to enforce the law and implement lasting flood prevention measures.