Editor of the Ghanaian Publisher Newspaper, Yaw Obeng Manu, has posited that flooding in the capital can be blamed on poor enforcement by the local government.
According to him, most builders refuse to go in for building permits from local assemblies, hence, building in water ways and other unapproved areas.
Citing the Weija Dam spillage and its aftermath as a clear example of the lack of enforcement and permits thereof, he told Samuel Eshun on the Editors’ Take edition of the ‘Happy Morning Show’, “Most people within Weija and its environs suffered damage to their properties as a result of many of them building near the dam without permit, and some building on waterways.
He explained the authority has been given to the local assemblies, MMDCEs and by extension the local government ministry to ensure buildings are not erected without permit, but they seem to be failing at their mandate.
“They need to step up,” he charged.
He lamented the corruption in the system which has led to this development.
In Ghana, it is not uncommon to see building owners inscribe in red ‘Produce Permit’ on their walls just to put off authorities or ward the assemblies of their backs. In areas where the assemblies or authorities make these inscriptions themselves, some bad nuts from the assemblies meet these developers, striking illegitimate deals with them, seeing them completing construction without proper documentation and approvals.
“This is part of the reason water destroys most properties in the capital when it rains. The filth we dump in the gutters also causes flooding,” she stated.
The editor advised developers to seek the necessary permits and approvals before beginning construction, with citizens also cleaning their gutters and disposing off waste properly.
With effective collaboration between all stakeholders and bodies concerned, Ghanaians will not have to worry about being displaced by rains.
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