Who is to blame for Ghana's Black Wednesday?

It's always been joyous when the rains start because the weather becomes cool and also, our lands becomes soft. Soft for farming and our farmers are very happy and all we pray for is a successful season.

As the rains sets, I sat and smiled to myself saying, " my month of birth be full of luck sakof e be raining season and the fasting(Ramadhan) go be good ruff" only to curse my stars on the morning of Wednesday, June 3rd since I read of the death of a 20yrs old student due to the heavy downpour. I console myself and also thought of who would console her family?

I looked up to the skies and told God to save us from disasters by the coming rains only to wake up on June 4th receiving news of people killed due to the rain. There again, I asked myself, who is the cause? Or is God angry at us? But after many thoughts, I came to a conclusion that it's human error and carelessness that has put the nation in this saddens moment. God didn't do us wrong by providing us water to soften our lands and fill the Akosombo dam so we could get enough water to help reduce our current electricity problem but you and I did. But the highest blame goes to the authorities.

Should this occurance be annually? Is there no solution? There's always a solution but are we willing to solve? Why throw refuse in moving water saying, "it's raining ". Have you asked yourself of its implications or consequences?

The habit of littering our environment must stop and it has to stop NOW. Let's stop the act of dropping waste into gutters for the rains to carry away to avoid a much disaster than this. We are equally responsible for the lost of some innocent lives. But the greatest cause goes to the authorities, those at the high seats of government. I heard the best mayor on the continent requested for 500million US dollars to solve our drainage problems to avoid similar issues in future. That's a good idea but I think it's bad. Why? This is because, in 2012, after a nearly similar situation, the government of Ghana received a whooping sum of USD795million. Where is the money? Why are we still facing drainage problems? Why is the mayor asking for money to solve this issue?

It saddens me to say our big men are playing with our lives and care not what the outcome is. It's a pity we are suffering for the incompetency and greed of some officials. May God have mercy.

I beseech the highest office of the land to probe into the 795million USD given to Ghana to solve our drainage problems. Also, the fire service should be well trained and equipped to avoid more tragedies due to fire. I believe if there was an helicopter to help put out the fire, many lives wouldn't have been lost. The gentleman of the nation, please serve Ghanaians like you promised and don't allow this annual ritual occur again.

To the 200+ departed souls, all I can say is REST IN PERFECT PEACE but hunt any official who due to his/her greed failed to take care of our drainage problems. To the bereaved families, we share and feel your pain.

Damirfa Dua. Thank you.
Abdul-Jawad Tiyumba
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