The Minority Caucus in Parliament is calling for the report of the government’s Anti-Flood Taskforce to be laid before the House for scrutiny.
The demand follows recent flooding incidents that submerged several communities in Accra, renewing concerns about the effectiveness of measures to tackle the capital’s perennial flooding problems.
The call was made during a debate in Parliament triggered by the latest flooding after heavy rains.
According to the Minority, although the Anti-Flood Taskforce was established a year ago, there has been little visible improvement on the ground.
“The formation of the taskforce was widely publicised. Its results however have been conspicuously in silence. This is why Hon. Shaib’s demand that the taskforce’s findings and recommendations be brought is not a procedural technicality,” Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated.
In response, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga argued that the taskforce would require more than a year to effectively address Accra’s long-standing flooding challenges.
“I’m not sure that this is a problem that can be solved within the one year that the taskforce has been in existence. A lot of studies are required, a lot of fundraising is required and I believe they will achieve some success. We need to give them time,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, expressed concern about the heavily silted Odaw River, which runs through parts of her constituency.
The Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip and MP for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, whose statement triggered the debate, urged Parliament to summon Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) from flood-prone areas to account for their flood prevention strategies.
Former Works and Housing Minister and MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, attributed the persistent flooding largely to inadequate funding for major drainage and flood control projects.
“The budgets that are allocated for the flood-control programmes do not get released,” he said.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
