Former President John Agyekum Kuffour has called for more investment to expand the current drainage and other infrastructure to prevent more deaths during rainy seasons.
He made the call at an event to launch a fund to support victims of last Wednesday’s devastating floods and fire explosion at a GOIL fuel station.
The incidents combined to kill about 150 people, but reports say the death toll could even be higher.
Former President Kufuor attributed the incident to what he termed the “… the general lack of continuity in our development process as a nation.”
Efforts not enough
Various governments including the current one have taken measures to resolve the perennial floods, however the former President believes events of last week “clearly and shamefully expose the nation as not having done enough to achieve a sustainable solution.”
The former President recalled that during the erstwhile Rawlings’ administration, various attempts were made to dredge choked drains adding that “one of the major storm drain projects was constructed through Alajo and its surrounding areas” during his[ Kufuor’s] regime to address the problem.
He further pointed out that the current government has also been pulling down structures in waterways to make way for the free flow of water in order to prevent flooding.
Kufuor was however quick to add that while the various governments have acted with the interest of the people in mind, “what is lacking is a coordinated and sustained efforts at development not only in flood management but in all other facets of national growth.”
Turning point
Suggesting solutions for the problem , Kufuor stated that the current disaster must be a turning around point for both government and Ghanaians.
“The current disaster must be the turning around point…”
He further called on major stakeholders to pressurise government to devise policies that will resolve the challenge.
“We know this, our professional institutions know this so please let them stand to pressurise government to take the right policies, prioritise.”
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By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah