Atta Akyea describes flood video as a ‘propaganda one’

The Works and Housing Minister, Samuel Atta Akyea, has downplayed a viral video showing tonnes of refuse floating in a drain at Asylum Down in Accra, after Tuesday’s downpour.

While residents insisted the video reflected the sanitation situation in the community after every downpour, the minister maintained there was a sinister motive.

Mr Atta Akyea described the video as a ‘propaganda one’ merely to paint the government black.

“The video showing a lot of debris floating is false. Just 15 minutes downpour couldn’t have brought all this debris floating through this drain. The people behind it want to smear the government,” he said during a tour after Tuesday’s downpour.

A not-too-happy Mr Atta Akyea advised that propagandists shy away from such acts, since “it is not the proper or the right thing to do.”

Meanwhile, residents of Asylum Down have confirmed the said video was nothing new.

“That has been the situation for years. The drain has always been filthy and is even worse than what we see now,” a resident had said.

There appears to be some truth in that. In February 2020, theghanareport.com reported a disturbing sight of uncountable plastic bottles gridlocked in the Asylum Down storm drain before Tuesday’s rain.

Click to watch the video after Tuesday’s rain