Mahama Orders Districts to Identify Flood Channel Obstructions
President John Dramani Mahama has directed all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to identify structures and other obstructions blocking drainage channels as part of a renewed effort to tackle perennial flooding in Accra and other flood-prone communities.
The directive follows widespread flooding caused by heavy rains, which displaced residents, damaged properties and disrupted economic activities across parts of the capital.
Speaking after an aerial assessment of the affected areas, President Mahama said the flooding challenge requires both engineering solutions and strict enforcement against developments that obstruct the free flow of water.
He announced that the government will convene a National Security Council meeting to coordinate a nationwide exercise involving district assemblies and the Ministry of Works and Housing to identify and remove all major drainage obstructions.
“We’re asking every district to identify, together with the Works and Housing Ministry, where the blockages in the channels are as they pass through the district assemblies, so that we can earmark those places for removal,” the President said.
Mahama acknowledged that demolishing buildings constructed in waterways is often controversial, but insisted such actions are necessary to protect lives and property.
“We’ve said this many times. I’m tired of hearing it, but anytime you begin to take action and you start breaking houses, people think that government is inhumane. But when the problem arises, it affects everybody,” he stated.
The President stressed that the exercise would not end with demolishing illegal structures. He said all debris and rubble must also be cleared from the waterways to restore the channels’ full capacity.
“We’ll not only break the houses, we have to move the rubble out of the way, because there’s no use breaking a house and leaving the rubble in the waterway,” he explained.
Describing the operation as a major undertaking, President Mahama said the government remains committed to implementing lasting measures to address Accra’s recurring flooding and improve public safety.
