President Mahama directs release of GHS 300 million for flood relief and mitigation

President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister for Finance to release GHS 300 million from the Contingency Fund to finance urgent flood relief and mitigation efforts.

The amount will be split evenly between immediate assistance for affected persons and longer-term measures to reduce future flooding.

Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed the directive in a press statement on Tuesday, saying it formed part of government’s response to flooding that hit parts of Accra and other communities in the southern sector of the country following hours of unusually heavy rainfall.

Of the total amount, GHS 150 million will finance urgent relief efforts for flood-affected persons and communities in the southern sector, while the remaining GHS 150 million will be spent on flood mitigation measures aimed at reducing future incidents of flooding.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the President had also directed the deployment of personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service to work alongside NADMO and other security services in the rescue and relief operations currently underway across the city.

The disbursement followed an aerial tour President Mahama undertook earlier on Monday to assess the full extent of the flooding, during which he observed damage across several communities and outlined a series of steps government intended to take to safeguard residents and prevent further flooding.

The release of the GHS 300 million adds to a series of measures the President has announced in response to the flooding, including a planned National Security Council meeting to address the crisis, directives to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to identify and remove obstructions along drainage channels, and a long-term plan to decongest Accra by developing a new city outside the capital.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD