The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, has called for a national, people-led approach to tackling the growing menace of urban flooding across the country.Contributing to a statement in Parliament by the Adentan MP, Mohammed Adamu Ramadan, on the recent floods in his constituency, Asenso-Boakye stressed that flooding was not a localised issue but a national challenge demanding urgent and sustained action."As someone who grew up in Bantama-an urban community- and now represents that same area in Parliament, I am acutely aware of the complex challenges flooding poses to urban settlements," he remarked.While acknowledging the efforts of successive governments to address the issue, he highlighted the unprecedented investments made by the Akufo-Addo administration in flood control infrastructure across the country."Yet, no matter how much government invests, if we continue to build on waterways and dump solid waste into our drainage systems, we will continue to suffer the consequences," he warned.Mr Asenso-Boakye pointed out that Ghana already has adequate laws to prevent such occurrences, but the real gap lies in enforcement. "We must hold our Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies accountable.
They are the primary authorities mandated by the Local Governance Act to enforce planning and sanitation regulations."Crucially, he called for a groundswell of community-led action to combat flooding, urging citizens to take responsibility. "We must rise against those who build on waterways and those who turn our drains into dumping grounds.
There is power in community action-sometimes even stronger than the power of government," he emphasised.The Bantama MP's comments were met with nods of agreement across the House, reinforcing the urgent need for both institutional enforcement and civic vigilance in the fight against flooding BY TIMES REPORT
