President John Dramani Mahama has called on traditional authorities to support government initiatives aimed at mitigating recurring flooding by refraining from allocating lands for development on waterways, wetlands, and other flood-prone areas.
Emphasising the critical role of chiefs, President Mahama stated that their involvement is essential in promoting responsible land-use practices and ensuring that sanitation and planning regulations are effectively enforced within communities.
The President made his appeal on Tuesday, July 21, during a courtesy visit from the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, regional Members of Parliament, and government appointees at the Jubilee House.
He acknowledged that while heavy rainfall is a significant contributor to flooding, human activities such as blocking drains, constructing on waterways, inadequate waste disposal, and insufficient enforcement of planning regulations have exacerbated the issue.
“The challenge of flooding cannot be attributed to rainfall alone. It intensifies when we obstruct drains, develop over waterways, and construct on wetlands,” he asserted.
President Mahama urged chiefs to bolster the government’s flood control measures by discouraging developments that hinder natural water flow and by advocating for sound sanitation practices within their communities.
“I therefore appeal to our esteemed chiefs, Nii mei and Naa mei, not to permit or endorse the allocation of lands in waterways, wetlands, drainage reserves, buffer zones, or any areas susceptible to flooding,” he emphasised.
This appeal comes in the wake of the devastating floods on June 29, which affected over 38,000 individuals across the Greater Accra Region, displacing more than 7,700 households and tragically claiming at least 15 lives.
