News
Government steps up flood response, urges public to cooperate
The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has assured Ghanaians that government is intensifying efforts to respond to the widespread flooding that has affected parts of Accra, Tema and surrounding communities following days of heavy rainfall.
In a press release issued on Monday, June 29, the minister explained that he joined President John Dramani Mahama and members of the Anti Flood Task Force to inspect flood affected communities after the prolonged rains.
According to him, the visit enabled the team to assess the causes of the flooding and evaluate measures needed to address the problem.
He noted that since June 27, sustained heavy rainfall had flooded homes, businesses and public infrastructure, especially in low lying communities, disrupting economic and social activities.
The minister expressed government’s sympathy to families and communities affected by the floods and assured victims that relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts would continue.
“We fully appreciate the pain, disruption, and economic hardship that these events will impose on households, traders, transport operators, and businesses,” he stated.
He explained that while climate change and extreme weather patterns were contributing to heavier rainfall, human activities such as building on waterways, dumping waste into drains and ignoring planning regulations had worsened the situation.
Mr Adjei stressed that tackling flooding required the collective efforts of government institutions, local authorities, traditional leaders, businesses and residents.
He disclosed that the Ministry, through the Ghana Hydrological Authority, was working with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, security agencies and other stakeholders to respond to the emergency.
He indicated that emergency response teams had been deployed to affected communities while evacuation support, relief items for displaced persons, damage assessment and drainage clearing exercises were ongoing.
The minister further revealed that recent enforcement operations by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies had focused on removing illegal structures blocking drains, waterways and wetlands.
He added that the Ministry would intensify these operations to protect natural drainage systems and prevent future flooding.
Mr Adjei announced that extensive desilting and excavation of major drains would begin immediately to improve the movement of stormwater.
He added that new drainage channels would also be constructed along natural water pathways, while government continued to expand and rehabilitate drainage infrastructure, restore wetlands and strengthen early warning systems.
The minister urged residents living near rivers, lagoons, drains and other flood prone areas to move to safer locations whenever necessary, avoid walking or driving through floodwaters and keep children away from flooded areas.
He appealed to the public to support government’s efforts by avoiding the dumping of refuse into drains, refraining from building on waterways and complying with environmental and planning regulations.
Mr Adjei expressed confidence that with collective responsibility and discipline, Ghana could reduce the impact of flooding and build safer and more resilient communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
GES directs Ashanti Regional, Obuasi Municipal Education Directors to step aside over Obuasi SHTS scandal
The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr. William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Mr. Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside with immediate effect.
The directive forms part of ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Mr. Zakaria Abdulai.
According to GES, the decision is intended to ensure that the investigations proceed without potential interference, nor the perception of it.
The two directors are to hand over their offices and all state property in their possession to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr. Thomas Kwame Boateng.
Management added that the headmaster, Mr. Zakaria Abdulai, also remains interdicted and therefore urged the public to ignore any news circulating that he has been cleared.
Management is calling for calm, support and cooperation as thorough investigations into the matter continue.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has joined the family of the late Professor Jason Atta Kwei Arday, the Ghanaian community in the UK, and other dignitaries for a memorial service in Southwark, UK.
In a post, Mr. Ablakwa described the service as deeply moving and unforgettable, held in honour of the late professor’s memory.
According to him, in keeping with the government’s pledge, he joined the family, Ghana’s High Commissioner to London, British MPs, Ministers, the Mayor of London, Cambridge scholars, Prof. Arday’s students and loved ones to pay respects and honour his inspiring legacy.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that Prof. Arday’s accomplishments as the youngest Black professor appointed at the University of Cambridge and his widely appreciated charitable contributions will continue to inspire generations.
“The Government and People of Ghana will continue to stand by our compatriots everywhere they are in the world. As we do so, we profess our commitment to justice, equality and the creation of a new world,” he said.
He prayed for fortitude for the family in what he described as an extraordinarily difficult time.
“We shall always remember Prof. Arday for his response when asked what he will wish to do to change the world: ‘I would take a thread and a needle, and I’d interweave love into our society’,” Mr. Ablakwa added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
