The initiative is under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project. The GARID project has been designed to address challenges, especially in targeted flood-prone communities within 17 selected metropolitan and municipal assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.

The Ablekuma North is a beneficiary of the project aimed at reducing flood risks and improving solid waste management in flood-prone communities.

Collaboration

The sensitisation programme formed part of a collaboration between agencies under the GARID project and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) directorate at the assembly.

The communities visited by members of the assembly led by the Presiding Member (MP) Ibrahim Sulley included Chabbah, Sakaman, Kwashieman and Been-to. At Chabbah, Mr Sulley who represented the Municipal Chief Executive, Kofi Ofori, said 11 out of 14 electoral areas had been identified as flood-prone areas.

He said the problems in the areas, which were under the GARID project, would be solved gradually. According to him, some of them had been dredged and desilted. 

Breeding grounds

The PM said waste disposal into drains would choke the flow of wastewater and serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes. “People should avoid channelling waste from their septic tanks into the drains before or during rains.

“People should assist the assembly to prosecute perpetrators by taking pictures/videos of perpetrators in the acts mentioned. Such informants would be rewarded as a form of motivation,” he said.

Mr Ibrahim advised residents to register with accredited refuse collectors to avoid improper disposal of refuse and prosecution. “Operation Clean Your Frontage is still ongoing in the municipality. People should clean their frontage and immediate surroundings of their houses regularly”.

Parliamentary aspirants 

The Deputy Ambassador to China, who doubles as the New Patriotic Party parliamentary aspirant for the area Akua Owusu Afriyie, advised the community members to desist from politicising flood issues.

She said culprits must be dealt with by law. At Jah Love, Kwashieman, the National Democratic Congress parliamentary aspirant for Ablekuma North, Awurabena Aubyn, graced the occasion.

She also advised community members on attitudinal change such as building on waterways, dumping refuse indiscriminately and many others. The Ablekuma North Municipal NADMO Coordinator, Johnson Amoah-Dankwaah, said some of the causes of flooding were as a result of people’s attitude and negligence.

He cited the dumping of refuse in drains as an example. In each community visited, assembly members, who were part of the team, spoke on attitudinal change by the citizenry to avoid flooding.

Officials of NADMO made presentations and demonstrations on social and behavioural changes and their adverse effects on humans.