The Minority Caucus in Parliament is asking the government to present the Anti-Flood Taskforce report to Parliament for review.
Their request comes after recent floods affected several communities in Accra, raising fresh concerns about how effective the government’s efforts have been in dealing with the city’s recurring flood problems.
The issue came up during a debate in Parliament following heavy rains that caused flooding in parts of the capital.
According to the Minority, the Anti-Flood Taskforce was set up a year ago to help solve the flooding problem, but there has been little noticeable improvement since then.
“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 said it would take more than a year for the taskforce to make a significant impact on Accra’s long-standing flood 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 Odaw River, which passes through parts of her constituency and is heavily filled with silt.
The debate was sparked by a statement from the Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe and Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
He called on Parliament to invite Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives from flood-prone areas to explain what measures they are taking to prevent flooding.
Former Works and Housing Minister and Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the continued flooding is mainly due to a lack of funding for major drainage and flood control projects.
“The budgets that are allocated for the flood-control programmes do not get released,” he said.
