Atta Akyea, who was in parliament to respond to questions on the country’s preparation against flooding ahead of the rainy season, said the government had begun desilting drains in some parts of Accra including Adabraka.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Rpyt3767olCtKbSqCsMyOoW6wuQxSiVs”]But Dr. Rawlings, whose constituency covers Adabraka and Odawna, told Citi News that contrary to the claims of the Minister, there is no desilting work ongoing in the area.

“He mentioned that desilting has begun, and he mentioned some of the areas including Odawna and Adabraka which I can confirm is not the case. The gutters have not been desilted and this is of great concern to the people living there. I was there just a week ago. The whole area, along the Odawna to the garages, with all the gutters including those in Adabraka and Osu need to be desilted,” she said.

Many parts of Ghana’s capital, Accra, gets flooded whenever it rains, resulting in the loss of properties and sometimes lives.

The Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, in 2017 said the country needs some $700 million to permanently solve the problem.

While contributing to the debate on the 2018 budget in Parliament, he indicated that the government had put together a new road-map to provide permanent infrastructure solution to the perennial flooding in Accra.

He explained that because the capital expenditure for the provision of the drainage and sewage to fix the recurring floods are beyond the national budget, and so there is the need to seek external help to address the problem.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Atta Akyea ‘lied’, Odawna drains not desilted – Zanetor appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Appearing before Parliament on Wednesday morning after he had been summoned, Atta-Akyea said the desilting of drains was once again the “quick fix” measure put in place to prevent flooding ahead of the rainy season.

[contextly_sidebar id=”KbjVgUHOinzr6RqBXK1eBniGmApZsEIX”]The Minister, however said the GHc 5.5 million allocated for the desilting was not even enough.

“Desilting is going on and they are dredging the Odaw River and the rest of them. So when we take out the silt for easy flow [of runoff water], you won’t have that kind of spillover which is always disastrous. This is the immediate solution.”

“But I am saying that if Ghana should have a permanent solution, we should go to places where you will not see filth floating in drains. You won’t see any sewage. Everything is underground and it is going to cost this country huge sums of money but we better start to have a permanent fix,” Mr. Atta-Akyea said.

Without this permanent solution, he said the cycle of seeking funds for desilting drains which will eventually be filled with rubbish again “will never end.”

A year ago, Mr. Atta-Akyea, made similar comments ahead of the rainy season saying it will cost Ghana over $700 million to effectively and permanently deal with the perennial flooding in the Greater Accra Region alone.

He held that Ghana had the technical expertise to deal with the flooding once and for all but was only in need of funds.

Aid needed for solution

In November 2017, Mr. Atta-Akyea said the government had put together a road-map to provide permanent infrastructure solution to the flooding problem.

But because of the capital expenditure for the provision of the drainage and sewage to fix the recurring floods are beyond the national budget, he said there would be the need to seek external help.

No details were given on this permanent solution at the time.

‘Failed’ CONTI project

Also a year ago, the now-Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, O.B. Amoah, attributed Accra’s continuous flooding challenges to the failure of the Mahama administration to implement the CONTI project.

Mr. Amoah said the Mahama administration had ostensibly deceived the country after Ghana and the Conti Group of Companies of the United States of America signed a $660 million agreement for a drainage and sewage project in 2013 that is yet to materialize.

The widely publicized project was to involve the construction of a massive drainage system for Accra to deal with Accra’s perennial flooding issues.

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku & Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Residents of the capital, Accra, mostly grapple with floods anytime it rains.

[contextly_sidebar id=”tMj53mrmnFYIYNrKRlBoGwINDsMdeBst”]The floods usually displace people and destroy properties with the worst occurrence being the June 3^rd disaster in 2015.

The MP who filed the question, Kwame Agbodza, told Citi News the Minister’s answers would be useful in dealing with such situations should they arise.

“We are expecting the Minister to come to Parliament to brief the people in Accra and the major cities what steps they have taken so when the rains come they do not become another disaster on our hands.”

The Minority in Parliament had earlier invited Mr. Atta-Akyea, to brief the House on steps the Ministry was taking to reduce the impact of floods in Accra.

According to the Minority, the recent rains in Accra, “if it is anything to go by, should be a wake-up call to the government to put in the necessary measures to avert the perennial flooding in the capital”.

Kwame Agbodza, Member of Parliament for Adaklu made the call when he spoke to the media in Parliament.

Accra experiences flooding yearly mainly because of the haphazard construction of houses, especially on water courses, the poor drainage system and a poor waste management challenge that leads to residents turning drains into refuse dumps.

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By: Marian Ansah & Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the Minority, the recent rains in Accra, “if it is anything to go by, should be a wake-up call to the government to put in the necessary measures to avert the perennial flooding in the capital”.

Kwame Agbodza, Member of Parliament for Adaklu made the call when he spoke to the media in Parliament.

Mr. Agbodza has filed an urgent question in Parliament to summon the Minister to brief the House on measures the Ministry was taking to prevent flooding in the capital during the raining season.

Accra experiences flooding yearly mainly because of the haphazard construction of houses, especially on water courses, the poor drainage system and a poor waste management challenge that leads to residents turning drains into refuse dumps.

Mr Agbodza also expressed concern that, so far there is no clear-cut policy from government to tackle the perennial flooding problem in the capital.

He said however that government has the opportunity to take right measures to reduce the negative impact of the floods on the citizenry.

“Let’s not wait for it to come and then read another tribute in Parliament, give people State burial or put people in agony, we have the opportunity to actually correct the problem before the floods” he added.

Mr Agbodza further charged the government to take steps to desilt the drains, remove unauthorised structures and complete the various drainage projects to improve the flow of water during the rains.

He said with the provision of a good Forecasting Weather System, the government should be able to provide timely information and educate the public on the climate.

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Source: GNA

The post Minority summons Atta-Akyea over flooding fears appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He explained that because the capital expenditure for the provision of the drainage and sewage to fix the recurring floods are beyond the national budget, there is the need to seek external help to address the problem.

Mr. Atta-Akyea made the revelation on the second day of debate on the 2018 budget statement in Parliament.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ckJlQzj8ZCXlvygPv0qBG2tNuK1u7Efa”]Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance on November 15, 2017, presented the government’s 2018 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament.

The budget highlighted results from the government’s policy programmes over the past few months, and announced the government’s planned developmental programs for the next fiscal year.

Among the major programs to be rolled out by the government in 2018, are a proposed 13 percent reduction in electricity tariff for residential consumers, the establishment of nation-building corps and operationalization of the special prosecutors’ office.

Mr. Atta-Akyea also stated that, the perennial flooding situation in the capital over the years has become an embarrassment to the country.

He stated that a lot investors have shown interest by investing in the housing sector of the country.

He however noted that government was considering using the Pension Fund to build houses for workers, after which they would be given mortgage to pay for the houses.

Mr. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzra, Ranking Member on Works and Housing in his contribution on the floor of Parliament, chastised the NPP government for reducing the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Works and Housing in the 2018 budget.

He said if the government wants the economy to grow and create jobs as they claim, then they must invest in infrastructure.

He cited for example that government in the 2018 budget has allocated GHȼ1.9 billion for government machinery, and only Ghȼ1.3 billion for infrastructure, and noted that government was not serious about creating jobs for the people.

Mr. Bedzra also stated that, most housing projects which were completed in 2017 were a result of the 2016 budget allocations under the NDC administration, and that the NPP government has not done any new projects.

He said most of the projects such as the sea defence wall along the country’s coast were initiated by NDC under the 2016 budget, is the only project that was carried out and nothing was added in the 2017 budget.

He said even in the 2018 budget, the government is still not adding any new project, but would only be completing what was started in 2016.

Mr. Bedzra also stated that, when it comes to educational infrastructure, the NPP government did not add anything to existing structures in the 2017 budget, but would only be completing the school infrastructure projects initiated by the President Mahama administration.

He therefore questioned the NPP’s mantra of “Putting Ghana back to work” as a hoax.

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Source: GNA

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The collapsed walls, sighted by Citi News, resembled the remnants of an Accra Metropolitan Assembly demolition exercise.

There are currently at least four police officers at the residence, but the former President’s security detail declined to speak to Citi News.

Many parts of Accra were submerged in flood waters, curtailing vehicular movement after the hours of rain.

Drivers were forced to make detours while others parked their vehicles due to the pool of flood waters on major highways.

Areas such as Teshie-Nungua, Lapaz, Shiashie, Darkuman and Kaneshie were some of the heaviest affected.

The flood waters also brought to the fore the capital’s sanitation troubles with all kinds of debris and filth being washed onto the streets.

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Wall of Rawlings’ Ridge residence toppled after downpour appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Most drivers have been forced to make a detour, while others have parked their vehicles due to the pool of flood waters on major highways.

Areas such as Teshie-Nungua, Lapaz, Shiashie, Darkuman and Kaneshie have been badly affected.

The flooding situation has resulted in a gridlock in areas such as Kaneshie, Tetteh Quarshie and Lapaz.

The flood waters have also washed debris and all kinds of filth unto the streets.

The flood raises questions about governments; past and present’s competence to address the problem which has become a perennial one.

Following a downpour in February 2017 that wrecked havoc in the area, the Works and Housing Minister, Samuel Atta Akyea, said the country requires $700 million to permanently fix the issue.

But before the amount is raised to commence works to halt the floods, city authorities and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, have contracted a private company to dredge some major drains in the capital to allow water to flow freely whenever it rains.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Morning showers ‘submerge’ Accra, immobilize cars [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Central American nations, where more than 20 people are missing.

It has caused heavy rains, landslides and floods which are blocking roads, destroying bridges and damaging houses.

In Costa Rica, nearly 400,000 people are without running water and thousands are sleeping in shelters.

At least eight people have died in the storm there, while another 11 were killed when it moved north and reached Nicaragua, where as much as 15ins (38cm) of rain had been predicted to fall by the US’s National Hurricane Center.

Three people have been killed in Honduras, including two youths who drowned in a river, and several are reported missing.

One man was also reportedly killed in a mudslide in El Salvador, according to emergency services.

In Costa Rica, all train journeys were suspended and dozens of flights cancelled on Thursday.

More than a dozen national parks popular with tourists have been closed as a precaution.

The storm also caused extensive damage to infrastructure in Nicaragua.

ate was expected to move off the eastern coast of Honduras at 23:00 ET (03:00 GMT) on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters say the storm will gain strength and become a category 1 hurricane before it makes landfall on the southern coast of the United States on Sunday.

Residents from Florida to Texas have been told to prepare for the storm, which, if it does strike, will be the third major storm to hit the southern coast his year.

Both Texas and Florida are still recovering from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey, which hit the former in August and caused “unprecedented damage”, and Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in Florida in September.

Oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico says they are evacuating staff from platforms which lie along the predicted path of the storm.

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Source: BBC

The post Storm Nate: At least 22 dead in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This year, the rains forecasts are going to be very heavy and they have started already in the north… Combined with the rainfall patterns, we are looking at almost half of the three northern regions being affected,” the Deputy Director of NADMO, Abu Ramadan said on Eyewitness News.

[contextly_sidebar id=”FLLvM6lhrDyj4QXtf7SbHy48OPeuD94E”]The impact of the flooding could extend to economic activities because “it is not just the human beings but the livestock and the farms that will be affected so it will have a great impact on cash and the economy of the people within the three northern regions.”

Areas in the Nothern Region recently had to contend with severe flooding from rainfall that left two persons dead.

The flooding also destroyed homes, livestock, feeder roads and farmlands in some parts of the region, even cutting off some towns.

A recent report concerning the threat of flooding “has sent panic” through NADMO, according to Mr. Ramadan.

This is especially so with the Bagre Dam situation because “these are water levels, that when they rise beyond the warning levels, there is a possibility of it breaking its boundaries and causing flooding situations.”

Bagre is almost about 20 percent full hence the need for it to be opened to prevent the breaking, he said.

Preemptive action underway

In anticipation of this, NADMO’s “operation thunderbolt” is already on the ground in the Northern Region and will be stationed in Wale Wale.

“Now we want to be in place before the incident happens so that we can raise more awareness and move people to highlands so that when the Bagre dam is opened, we can look at how best [we can handle the situation].”

” …we are taking experts, an urban search and rescue team and all manner of equipment to go and help the people so that we don’t have a huge disaster when the dam is opened.”

“We are looking at almost 50,000 to 60,000 people” who could be affected by a possible spillage he observed, a number that could double when the rain and the rising levels of the White Volta are factored in.

The flooding will affect about seven districts in the three northern regions; West Mamprusi, Savelugu Nanton, Tolon, Kumbungu, North, Central and West Gonja districts.

“There will be residual effects in the Eastern Regional Volta Region areas but if it is well managed up there, the impact level will be low as it comes down,” Mr. Ramadan also noted.

NADMO’s focus in the mean time will be “to go out and start sensitizing  people, identifying safe havens and high grounds where when the thing starts, we can ask them to move.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 200,000 still at risk from Bagre dam, heavy rains – NADMO appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Sources within NADMO have revealed that the past administration piled a huge debt compelling local suppliers to renege their contract with the government.

This explains NADMO’s inability to support victims of last Tuesday’s floods which affected thousands of people in six districts of the Northern Region including the Tamale Metropolitan Area.

Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia toured some of the affected communities within the Metropolitan Area.

The victims are yet to receive any form of government support after the government team’s assessment.

The victims included a former Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Iddrisu Adam Yoggu and a former Northern Regional Boss, Alhaji Mahamud, both appointees of the erstwhile J.A Kufuor NPP government.

Some of the victims in a Citi News interview decried the situation and thus called for government and philanthropic assistance.

They recounted their losses including livestock, several acres of farmlands, school certificates, and submerged houses.

Eastern Corridor Road

Portions of the Yendi-Bimbila stretch of the Eastern Corridor road project have been cut off.

Commuters on that road have been obliged to use the Salaga-Tamale road and reconnect to other parts of the region.

Also, the road linking Nanumba north to Nanumba south and from Kpandai to Northern Volta has been washed.

Settlements including Jilo, Chechia, Pudoya, Bangdiyili, Waanpu, Chamba and Dakpam have been cut off from Bimbila Township.

Food insecurity

There is looming food insecurity this farming season because several farmlands have been destroyed in the Eastern Corridor which is the region’s food basket.

These include numerous acres of yam mounds, cereals and grains plantations owned by smallholder farmer groups.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post N/R floods: Cash-strapped NADMO unable to aid victims appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.