President John Dramani Mahama has directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to identify and remove all obstructions in drainage channels and waterways following Monday’s historic downpour, which caused widespread flooding across Accra and parts of the Greater Accra Region.
Speaking after an aerial assessment of the affected communities on Monday, June 29, the President described the rainfall as one of the heaviest the capital has experienced in recent years.
“The amount of rain that fell today is almost 140 millimetres. The whole of last year, the highest rainfall recorded in a single day was about 90 millimetres. So this is a historical rainfall, and with the level of the downpour, there is bound to be flooding,” he said.
Despite describing the rainfall as historic, Mahama stressed that human activities had worsened the impact of the floods, insisting that blocked drainage systems and encroachment on waterways remain major contributors to the perennial flooding in the capital.
“We’re asking every district to identify, together with the Works and Housing Ministry, where the blockages in the channels are so that we can earmark those places for removal,” he stated.
The President said the exercise would not be limited to demolishing illegal structures but would also ensure that debris is cleared from drainage channels to restore the free flow of water.
“We’ll not only break the houses. We have to move the rubble out of the way because there’s no use breaking a house and leaving the rubble in the waterways,” he explained.
Mahama further announced that the National Security Council would meet to coordinate a comprehensive response to Accra’s recurring flooding challenge. He also directed the Minister for Finance to release funds from the Contingency Fund to support victims while commending the Ghana Armed Forces, NADMO, the Ghana Police Service and other emergency responders for their rescue efforts.
He maintained that while extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, Ghana must address the underlying causes of flooding through stronger enforcement of planning regulations, improved drainage infrastructure and responsible environmental practices.
“This time should be different,” the President said, urging sustained action to prevent future flood disasters.
