Government, city authorities insincere to safety of Ghanaians - Bureau of Public Safety

“The State is not being sincere, the State is not committed to ensure that people are safe in the county”, Executive Secretary of Bureau of Public Safety, Mr Nana Yaw Akwada have said on Accra-based radio station, Starr FM on Monday .

According to Mr Akwada, the government has not prioritized the safety of the citizens, adding that city authorities have not learnt from the June 3rd disaster.

“I am talking about the water works, the AMA, I am talking about the NADMO…. In our views leadership have not prepared adequately to ensure June 3rd or flooding is significantly reduced”

On June 3, 2015, the entire nation was thrown into a state of shock and mourning, following the heavy downpours that claimed over 150 lives. The flood disaster brought myriad of hardship to a huge number of Ghanaians after hours of rainfall.

Mr Akwada therefore urged the government and city authorities to go back to the drawing board and come out with effective way of dealing with flooding in Accra.

Reacting to the statement, the Mayor of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, (AMA), Mohammed Adjei Sowah said the concern about safety is the core of the management decision of the assembly.

He noted that it is therefore unfortunate for Mr AKwada to have concluded that city authorities do not put the safety of its citizens at the heart of their decision process.

He added that flooding happens all over the world, “There is flooding in north Carolina, in Japan and in so many places. Does that mean they have also not factored safety in the management of their cities and their country” he questioned.

He attributed the flooding in Accra to lack of infrastructure to accommodate the waste generated in the city.

He mentioned that they are dealing with the fundamental of the issue and not the surface. ”We can go and be cleaning the drains all the time, we clean be sweeping the streets of Accra all the time. We generate over 3,000 tonnes of waste in Accra every day. We collect the waste every day”. He said.

On his part, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Archibald Cobbinah said some of the major drains in the city are being desilted as part of the preparedness for the rains.

He however blamed the death recorded on irresponsible disposal of waste by residence.

 “We have always been prepared for the rains, but the issue that we want to drum home more is about the way we put garbage in our drainages.”

 “In fact it is even serious even when the rains begin, they take all sorts of waste from their houses and they come and dump them into the drains”.

Mr Cobbinah therefore called for enforcement of the laws to “punish people who litter and throw rubbish in our drains.”

He also advised the citizenry to clean drains in front of their houses clean. “We all have a role to play to ensure we keep our cities and drainages clean. People should take precautionary measures to ensure they are safe during the rainy season. People should identify safe havens within their communities where they can be safe, especially when they know their houses or community floods when it rains.”