Flood crisis demands decisive action, shared responsibility – NPP Communicator
NPP communicator urges government, communities and stakeholders to work together on long-term flood prevention measures following the devastating Accra floods.
A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team for the Navrongo Central Constituency, Stephen Nabiina-Yerijua, has called for urgent and decisive action to address Ghana’s recurring flood disasters, describing the recent flooding in Accra as one of the country’s worst in recent years.
Speaking on The Big Mike Breakfast Show on Wednesday July 1, Nabiina-Yerijua extended his condolences to families who lost loved ones and property during the June 29 floods, stressing that protecting lives and property must remain a national priority.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the families who lost their loved ones. Protecting lives and property must remain a national priority, and we must work together to ensure tragedies of this nature are significantly reduced,” he said.
While acknowledging that flooding is a natural phenomenon, Nabiina-Yerijua argued Nabiina-Yerigovernments must be held accountable for implementing measures to minimise its impact.
“Government must stand up. This is not a time to be political, but the government of the day must take responsibility and respond decisively,” he stated.
He defended the NPP’s criticism of the government’ski handling of the disaster, saying it is the responsibility of the opposition to hold the governing administration accountable and ensure effective governance. Although he welcomed the government’s announcement of relief interventions, he urged authorities to ensure that assistance reaches affected residents promptly.
Nabiina-Yerijua maintained that addressing Ghana’s flood challenges requires a collective effort, attributing the recurring disasters to indiscriminate construction on waterways, weak enforcement of planning regulations, rapid urbanisation and mounting pressure on infrastructure in the national capital.
He also argued that the concentration of government institutions in Accra has contributed to congestion and increased the city’s vulnerability to flooding.
To address the problem, he proposed the immediate demolition of structures obstructing waterways, while calling for fair compensation for affected property owners.
“There are some structures that must be demolished immediately. But if government demolishes them, it must also compensate the owners because people have invested their lives in those properties,” he said.
He further recommended expanding drainage infrastructure, relocating some government institutions to other regions and accelerating the decentralisation of public services to ease pressure on Accra and reduce future flood risks.
Nabiina-Yerijua also defended the previous Akufo-Addo administration, stating that it implemented several flood mitigation projects under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Programme, including the construction of storm drains, retention ponds, dredging of waterways and improvements in waste management. He alleged that many of those projects had stalled under the current administration.
He further called for stricter enforcement of planning regulations to prevent illegal construction on waterways and flood-prone areas.
“Government should not be thinking about votes when taking difficult decisions. The hard measures must be taken to protect lives, and those affected should be compensated,” he said.
Nabiina-Yerijua also appealed to corporate organisations, civil society organisations, faith-based groups and individuals to support flood victims with donations and other forms of humanitarian assistance as they recover from the disaster.
His remarks come amid renewed public debate over Ghana’s recurring floods and growing calls for long-term, non-partisan solutions to strengthen disaster preparedness, urban planning and environmental management.
Mike 105.3FM I Navrongo | Elizabeth Apusaama
