The Works and Housing Minister, Samuel Atta Akyea has stated that he is ready to demolish buildings identified to be on water way by the Town and Country Planning Department in order to deal with the perennial flooding in Ghana’s capital, Accra.
“We don’t have a choice,” he told Starr Today, adding: “Sometimes we think that it is inhumane to pull down a house…but if the risk of the siting of the house will cause massive damage to the mass of the people, it is better a couple of houses are pulled down to save a bad situation than to say that somebody has spent good money and has done a wrong thing—leave it alone.”
He continued: “So this is the opportunity cost we should look at and a serious ministry should go for the situation where the mass of the people will be relieved…so it is the question of delineating what is there…being very sure that this property from engineering perspectives is standing on a water way and it is good for the health of the generality of the people…if it is so satisfied we will use the law to do these things. And I think it is something that I’m ready to do.”
Speaking to journalists earlier Monday after touring some areas affected by the rainstorm on Sunday, February 26, Mr. Atta Akyea indicated that it would cost government over US$700million to permanently deal with the recuring flooding in the capital, Accra.
Places affected by the downpour are Asylum Down, Avenor, Alajo and the Kwame Nkrumah interchange.
“I am seeing something in the neighbourhood of $700 million to fix what is in this area alone… this is what stares at us in the face every year, but we will find the money and do it,” he stated.
He said there are three nations who have expressed interest in helping the government fix the flooding mess.
“What we have to do is to find out how we can have a local financial arrangement and requirement that will let the money come in,” he said on Starr Today.
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(Nana Kwesi)