I don’t owe June 3 disaster victims apology – Accra Mayor

The Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije has said he owes victims of the recent flood and fire disaster no apology.

Speaking in a BBC interview, the Mayor absolved himself from any blame and maintained that the Assembly has invested in major  drainage construction projects aimed at addressing  the perennial flooding

“… I owe them support to ensure that these things do not happen, but I don’t owe anyone an apology. As Mayor I have always done my job. Every year I clean the channels of this city. Last year we did that, the year before we did it. We have built storm drains in the past until we comprehensively build the new drains of this city.I will do some, another Mayor will come and continue. “

Over 150 people died in the flood and fire disaster which occurred at the GOIL fuel station a month ago.

Many have blamed government and city authorities for failing to put in place measures to prevent the incident.

The Mayor however posited that various authorities should not be held liable for the incident since government had put in place measures to address the perennial flood.

He added that government is still putting in place robust measures to dredge the Odaw river and Korle Lagoon to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

“What happened on June 3^rd, I or anybody in leadership do not wish for that to happen again and that is why massively we are dredging the Odaw river, dreding the Korle Lagoon,  dredging all the way into the ocean so that when it rains, water will find its way.

“I believe that very soon we will be able to finish and complete all the necessary arrangement around the funding that we need and then we will be able to   build the drains that we need and then put in a comprehensive programme to solve this problem.”

“My own mother, my friends, neighbours were all affected. ..Several communities were affected; people who live in Adabraka were affected, people who live in Odorna were affected but that is why we are embarking on a massive dredging and desilting of the drains all the way to the Korle so that when it rains water will go.,” he added.

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By: Marian Efe Ansah