Minority MP demands briefing on recurring floods on Accra-Cape Coast Highway

Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah, has called on Parliament to summon the Minister for Works and Housing to brief the House on the recurring flooding along the Accra-Cape Coast highway.

According to the Minority MP, the persistent flooding during heavy rains continues to create serious difficulties for motorists and commuters using the stretch, with several vehicles often left stranded for hours.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr Boamah said the situation had become worrying, especially after parts of the highway were submerged following recent downpours.

“If you look at pictures and videos from the western part of Accra, especially where Honourable Ayariga drives through to Winneba, and to Cape Coast, the whole area was submerged yesterday,” he said.

He said there’s a need for the government to explain the immediate steps being taken to address the flooding situation, particularly concerns surrounding drainage systems and the impact of the Weija Dam spillover.

“It will be very important for us to hear from the Works and Housing Minister on the steps that the government is taking to get the drainage system fixed. The Weija Dam was opened, and people are just homeless in Accra,” he stated.

Mr Boamah further described the extent of the disruption caused by the floods, revealing that travel along the highway had become extremely difficult.

“The rains, people couldn’t drive to Cape Coast. A friend of mine left Accra at 12:00 p.m. and got to Takoradi at 10:00 p.m. It’s not a good thing to toy about with,” he added.

The Okaikwei Central MP also called on the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, to urgently release funds to contractors working on the Accra-Cape Coast road project to speed up ongoing construction works.

“Ato Forson must release money to the contractors working on the Accra-Cape Coast road. He must make releases and stop hiding under the commitment authorisation that he’s using to stifle everybody in this country,” Mr Boamah said.

“He must make funds available, not come here and present facts and numbers to the country. Ato Forson must pay contractors to deliver. All the ministers are suffering,” he added.

Responding to the concerns, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga agreed that it would be appropriate for the Works and Housing Minister to appear before Parliament to brief members on the flooding situation.

“We tend to have these floods, and the Minister usually comes to apprise us of what the situation looks like. It won’t be bad for the Minister to come and appraise us,” he said.

Mr Ayariga, however, said that the flooding problem goes beyond the release of funds and reflects years of failure to enforce planning regulations and building laws.

“It is not just about the Minister of Finance disbursing funds. It’s also the failure over many years to enforce all the codes that this Parliament has passed relating to how we plan our cities, where we develop, and where we don’t develop,” he stated.

According to him, the unchecked development of buildings on waterways and drainage channels has contributed significantly to the recurring floods experienced across major parts of the country.

“How do we make sure that the waterways are protected so that when we have heavy downpours, there will not be obstruction to the waterways, and then there will be flooding?” he said.

The Majority Leader further reminded MPs that they also have responsibilities as members of their respective municipal and district assemblies to ensure planning regulations are properly enforced.

“And if we sleep on the job and we don’t pay attention to these issues, these are the consequences that will be visited upon us as a nation,” Mr Ayariga cautioned.

He urged lawmakers to look beyond blaming ministers and also examine their own roles in addressing poor planning and illegal developments within their constituencies.

“So, beyond just always asking the ministers what they are doing, let’s also begin to ask ourselves as members of Parliament, who are members of our various district assemblies, what are we also doing?” he asked.

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)