Mahama must declare national mourning for flood victims – Minority

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticised the government's handling of the recent floods, arguing that the tragedy calls for a national mourning period and a comprehensive sanitation policy instead of what it describes as piecemeal interventions.

Speaking during deliberations on the Business Statement in Parliament, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin urged the government to demonstrate greater compassion towards families who lost relatives, homes and property in the disaster.

He expressed concern that despite the fatalities recorded, there had been no official declaration of national mourning or a presidential address to console bereaved families and reassure the nation.

“People have died, Mr. Speaker. People have died,” he stressed, adding, “It is important that there is some official statement to commiserate and address the nation. We have seen other disasters where the President announced a national mourning. This we have not seen. That is very important.”

Mr. Afenyo-Markin maintained that the scale of the disaster warranted a stronger national response, insisting that the suffering of affected Ghanaians should not be overlooked.

Turning to flood prevention, the Minority Leader called on the Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources to appear before Parliament to present the government's long-term strategy for addressing sanitation challenges and perennial flooding.

He recalled that when the Minister for the Interior briefed Parliament on the disaster, he indicated that the government would introduce a comprehensive policy to tackle the recurring flood problem. However, Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted that Parliament was yet to receive details of the proposed policy.

While acknowledging the declaration of two national clean-up exercises, he argued that the initiative would not adequately address the root causes of flooding.

He criticised what he described as the government's reactive approach to flood management, stating, “Enough of the knee-jerk posture and the ad hoc measures. We don’t need them.”

According to him, any administration genuinely committed to resolving the country's recurring flood crisis must urgently roll out a comprehensive national sanitation policy.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin also lamented the impact of the floods on thousands of victims, particularly low-income earners who lost homes, businesses and personal belongings.

“Thousands lost property. Maybe because they are not public servants, they are not politicians, we are not talking about it. Many poor people lost their property. Many poor people lost their businesses,” he said.

The Minority Leader further called for accountability regarding the GH¢350 million emergency allocation approved by Parliament to support flood relief efforts.

He explained that both the Majority and Minority had unanimously endorsed the request before the Finance Committee because of the urgent nature of the disaster. However, he said Parliament now expected the Finance Minister to return to the House and provide a full account of how the funds had been utilised.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted that the allocation was approved under Article 177 of the Constitution as part of the government's response to a national emergency, making transparency in its expenditure essential.

He also raised concerns over the distribution of relief items by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), citing reports that baked beans distributed to flood victims in Agbogbloshie and Maamobi were later said to have been donated rather than purchased with public funds.

“When we raised it, we were told the baked beans were not part of the procured items but a donation. We do not know who donated them. This is an important matter that we believe the Finance Minister should brief this House on,” he stated.