Former Minister for Works and Housing and Member of Parliament for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has disclosed that the Akufo-Addo administration invested GH₵450 million in flood control programmes during its eight years in office.
According to him, a substantial portion of the funds was channelled into improving drainage infrastructure and strengthening the country’s capacity to manage flooding.
Speaking at a Capacity Building Workshop for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Accra, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee called on the Mahama administration to sustain such interventions to mitigate the impact of flooding, especially in the capital.
“In the eight years of the Akufo-Addo Administration, the government committed GH₵450 million towards flood control programmes. I am urging this government to continue on that path because it is necessary. But a critical part has to do with regulatory measures and strictly adhering to settlement planning schemes,” he stated.
Asenso-Boakye stressed that beyond infrastructure investments, strict enforcement of planning regulations and adherence to settlement schemes are essential to addressing the country’s recurring flooding challenges.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Queenstar Pokuah Sawyerr, assured stakeholders of Parliament’s commitment to supporting measures aimed at tackling the perennial flooding situation in Accra.
She said the committee was keen on understanding how assemblies within the Greater Accra Region were responding to the challenge and how Parliament could support the development of policy interventions for flood-prone areas.
“The committee is particularly interested in understanding how assemblies within the region are responding to these challenges and how Parliament can support the development of policy interventions for flooded areas,” she said.