Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised the Ghanaian government’s response to recent floods, accusing it of contradicting its previous position on the causes of recurring flooding and contrasting President John Dramani Mahama’s actions with those of former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
Speaking as guest of honour at a Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) event on Thursday (2 July) at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) under the theme “Leadership and Youth Empowerment for Nation Building,” Afenyo-Markin said the devastating floods that hit parts of Accra and the Greater Accra Region exposed what he described as inconsistencies in the government’s approach to disaster management.
He argued that while the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), when in opposition, had blamed recurring floods on failures of leadership, it was now attributing the disaster to engineering challenges.
“They told us yesterday, when they were in opposition, that the floods in Ghana were a leadership problem,” Afenyo-Markin said.
“Today… after the worst flooding the capital city has seen in a generation… the government is back again telling us that the problem is an engineering problem and not leadership. That is a walking contradiction.”
Contrast
He also criticised President Mahama’s decision to conduct an aerial inspection of flood-hit communities before announcing the release of funds from the national contingency fund.
Afenyo-Markin contrasted that with the response of former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, saying Bawumia visited affected communities on the ground, met victims and provided relief items.
“He did not fly above the pain and observe it from a safe distance. He went in. He walked through the mud of the affected communities,” Afenyo-Markin said.
“He shared their grief… because he understands that nation building begins with showing up when the nation is in pain.”
The Minority Leader urged students to embrace leadership rooted in service and commitment, saying young people had a critical role to play in national development.
Advice
Earlier at the event, NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye encouraged TESCON members to remain committed to the party despite its current position in opposition.
Boakye, a former TESCON president himself, said working for the party outside government demanded resilience and sacrifice.
“Working for the party in opposition requires dedication and commitment; you must be energetic to work for the party,” he told the students.
He also praised Afenyo-Markin for what he described as renewed efforts to strengthen TESCON nationwide, saying he had not seen a parliamentary leader devote as much time and energy to the party’s student wing.
TESCON is the student wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party and operates across tertiary institutions in Ghana.
Cancellation
In a related development, former Greater Accra Regional Minister Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover has blamed the cancellation of a major sanitation contract involving Zoomlion Ghana Limited and poor waste management practices for worsening flooding in Accra and other parts of the country.
He argued that the disruption to routine street sweeping and refuse collection has resulted in the accumulation of waste in drains, which obstructs waterways and exacerbates flooding during heavy rains.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Mr Glover said the absence of consistent sanitation services has left the capital increasingly vulnerable to flooding.
He specifically cited changes to sanitation arrangements, including the cancellation of the Zoomlion contract under the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), which he said has disrupted waste management operations for nearly a year.
“Another problem that I have identified is our inability to continue the sweeping in the metropolis, in the towns; the cancellation of the Zoomlion contract, from last year, for almost a year now, look at the number of refuse that are in the water and end up in the ocean,” he stated.
MMDAs
Mr Glover maintained that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) lack the logistical, financial and operational capacity to fully assume responsibility for street sweeping and sanitation services.
“The assemblies don’t have the capacity. Logistically, materially, financially, they don’t have the capacity. The person who has the capacity to do this, you’ve asked him to stop the work. He is doing it in 29 African countries. Lagos alone, he has a 25-year contract, and he’s working to collect this refuse for the time,” he said.
The former minister also warned that major water bodies, including the Sakumo Lagoon, could overflow if sanitation challenges are not addressed urgently.
“If there should be continuous rain for the next five hours, I can tell you the Sakumo Lagoon will overflow onto the road,” he warned.
Mr Glover called for sustained waste collection, regular desilting of drains and stronger sanitation systems to reduce the risk of future flooding.
His comments come amid growing public concern over recurring floods and renewed debate over urban sanitation and waste management in Ghana’s major cities.
