President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to immediately demolish all buildings and structures on waterways to prevent flood during rainy seasons.
"MMDAs are also to ensure the strict adherence of developers to the planning laws of our country, and sanction staff who have issued permits for structures to be built on waterways to serve as a deterrent to others who seek to engage in such acts.
"To ensure these directives are strictly complied with, I have established a monitoring unit at Jubilee House that will be reporting directly to me on the progress of the implementation of these measures."
"I am, thus, putting all Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on notice. You will be held accountable for any breaches that result in damage from flooding. As President of the Republic, I will not allow the selfish acts of a few to jeopardise the collective futures of the rest of us," he said.
The President's directive comes in the wake of recent floods in some parts of Accra caused by heavy rainfalls. The flood has destroyed several properties and created inconvenience for many citizens
Commissioning four dredging machines at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region to help address floods in the area, President Akufo-Addo condemned the indiscriminate dumping of refuse and urged such "unpatriotic citizens" to put an end to such practices.
"Regardless of the investment that is made in the construction of well-engineered drains, the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste into open drains and channels will reduce our capacity to end the problem of flooding. I urge all those engaged in such practices to put an end to it," he added.
President Akufo-Addo said since 2017, government had spent GH¢450 million on the flood control programme in major flood prone areas in Accra such as the Odaw drainage channel.
"Phase five (5) of the Accra Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Alleviation Project, which is intended to ensure that the Odaw Channel is free of silt and debris, has been commissioned. Indeed, the construction of 19 kilometres of drains has been completed, whilst some 1,000km of drains have been excavated, rechannelled and maintained across the country, as part of efforts to reduce the perennial flooding of Accra," he said.
However, the President admitted that more needed to be done to deal with the situation permanently, in view of recent events in Accra, and assured that his administration would continue to work "towards the day when Ghanaians, especially those in Accra, will live in calm and tranquility through the rainy season."
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The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, emphasised that every citizen had a role to play in complementing the efforts of government to find sustainable solutions to the perennial flooding.
"So we all need to take our safety seriously and be mindful of the manner we dispose of solid waste. We also need to desist from activities that obstruct free flow of water," he said.
He called on MMDAs to help in the country's pursuit of a proper settlement, saying that "the pursuit of an improved settlement is a collective responsibility and cannot do it."
While commending Dredge Masters Limited, owners of the four dredging machines, he said "as the sector ministry in charge of drainage and flood management in the country, we will continue to remain dedicated in partnering with companies such Dredge Masters to find solutions to the perennial flooding while delivering exceptional results in sustainable development of our country"
The Executive Chairman, Jospong Group of Companies, Dr Joseph SiawAgyepong, said the company's dredger was to augment the already existing ones to better execute dredging works and achieve a long lasting solution in the country and the African continent.
"The equipment is able to dredge about 16 metres deep and have enough capacity to carry a large scale of reclamation.
The total investment of the company in all maritime equipment stands at 54million Euros.
"The dredger can undertake major projects at ports and harbours, dams, lagoons, reservoirs and other water bodies," he said.
