Floods in Accra needs more than demolition

Ayariga: Floods in Accra needs more than demolition
Audrey Micah, Ghanadot

Accra, June 24, Ghanadot - Mr. Mahama Ayariga, Spokesperson to the President has responded to media reports that about 45 houses cited on waterways have been earmarked for demolition following last Friday’s flooding which claimed seven lives.

According to him, the solution to the recurrent floods in Accra does not lie in pulling down houses.

He noted that a critical look should be taken to find out what the causes of the floods are, so that there would be clear ways to tackle the problem of rains claiming lives and property.

“The whole idea of going to pull down somebody’s house after people have worked so hard and used their savings to put up a home for shelter for themselves and their families is not an easy thing”

Speaking to Joy FM, Mr. Ayariga noted that the situation is very vital to the president that while in Nigeria; he called all the fitting agencies and asked them to use this occasion to develop a strategic and comprehensive plan so that subsequent years we don’t have to be confronted with these challenges.

He said the president also spoke to the district assemblies through the Local Government Minister to put measure in place to ensure the current challenges are not replicated in new settlements.

In August 2007, after a related disaster in which five people were killed by flood in the western part of Accra, 25 buildings were marked for demolition by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) but after three of them had been pulled down, owners of the affected properties sought a court injunction to stop the exercise.

It has been on hold since then but this time the agencies charged with the job have indicated their preparedness to go all the way and demolish all the buildings and illegal structures found to have been constructed on watercourse.

Micah Audrey