By:tntnewspaprgh.com

The Ashanti Regional Chairman for the United Party (UP), Mr Joseph Amoah, has shot down the proposal by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to the government to declare a state of emergency following the recent floods that submerged many parts of Accra.

According to him, even though there’s the need for every Ghanaian, especially those living in flood-prone areas, to be extra careful, there’s no need for the government to declare a state of emergency. “I don’t understand what Dr Bawumia means by his proposal for President John Mahama’s government to declare a state of emergency before it can address the recent floods.

Mr.Joseph Amoah

However, we should all be prepared, especially agencies responsible for flood prevention and management.We (UP) believe that the situation needs to be managed by professionals to protect lives and properties.

The Ashanti Regional UP Chairman, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Loves Enterprise, stated this on Fakye TV hosted by Kojo Marfo.Sharing the United Party’s position on the recent floods in the nation’s capital, Accra, and the Central Region, which have so far claimed over 34 lives and destroyed several properties, Mr Amoah said one of the policies of UP in tackling floods in the country is that they will put in place better or resilient infrastructure that will stand the test of time to prevent flooding.

“We (UP) will put in place better infrastructure so that water cannot even get access to pass through our roads or streets. So besides building proper infrastructure development, we also need to give proper or adequate emergency preparedness to the citizens before the rain starts.

According to him, those who live in flood-prone areas or are exposed to floods will be asked to vacate, and there are some buildings which will be immediately demolished, and other buildings may not need to be demolished, though people living in areas or in flood-prone areas will all be removed. Our plan is also to embark on frequent desilting of the drains to remove all blockages of free flow of water that are usually part of the causes of perennial flooding in Ghana. In all this, there are some who also need to be given some compensation as part of measures in preventing floods.

The famous businessman cautioned that the damaged water cannot and should never be compared to fire. It is, therefore, the need for all Ghanaians to be highly alert and join hands to stop flooding in the country.

He stressed the need for behavioural and attitudinal change of all Ghanaians, especially indiscriminate dumping of refuse, building on waterlogged areas, etc.

It would be recalled that the United Party (UP) officially called on the government to revisit and implement the master plans prepared for Accra and other major cities in the 1960s as part of long-term measures to address the perennial flooding affecting lives and property.

According to the Daily Graphic report,a statement signed by the party’s director of communication and spokesperson, Mr Solomon Owusu said that despite successive governments investing heavily in drainage improvement projects, flooding, particularly in Accra, had persisted for decades.

It said the challenge required comprehensive engineering solutions, effective urban planning, and behavioural change rather than temporary interventions.

The UP’s statement said repeated desilting of the Odaw drain had achieved little in addressing the recurring floods. NewspapersIt recalled that flooding in Accra had attracted national attention as far back as 1963 but remained unresolved after more than six decades.

The party, therefore, urged the government to revive the development plans prepared for Accra by British planners Professor Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, based on earlier planning initiated under Governor Gordon Guggisberg, with contributions from German consultant Professor Hubert.It also called for the implementation of the 1963 master plans for Accra, Tema, Sekondi-Takoradi, and Kumasi, which it said had been abandoned after the 1966 coup d’état. PoliticsThe statement said Accra’s original master plan was designed for about 400,000 residents, but the city’s population now exceeds 2.5 million, necessitating an update before implementation.

The UP said that although climate change and extreme weather contributed to global flooding, engineering deficiencies had worsened Ghana’s situation. GovernmentIt cited the Netherlands and Singapore as examples of countries where advanced drainage systems and engineering interventions had reduced flood risks and urged the government to prioritise similar long-term measures.

The party also advocated behavioural change, stronger law enforcement, discipline, and responsible leadership to complement engineering solutions.It expressed sympathy with flood victims and appealed to the government to consider its proposals to achieve lasting solutions to flooding. Geographic Reference