TEMA, Ghana, 6 June: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has attributed Ghana’s persistent flooding challenges to widespread corruption within Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), particularly in the area of physical planning and development control.
According to him, unchecked development and the alleged compromise of town planning officials have enabled developers to obtain permits to build on waterways, wetlands, buffer zones, and other environmentally sensitive areas, worsening the country’s annual flooding situation.
“The problem has to do with corruption. Officers entrusted with town planning are compromised and grant permits for the construction of buildings on virtually any available space,” he stated.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, June 6, Mr. Koomson called for aggressive interventions and far-reaching reforms to address the root causes of flooding, especially in Accra and other urban centres across the country.
He warned that if the situation is not urgently addressed, estate developers could eventually encroach on public roads and major highways due to weak enforcement and regulatory failures.
“The fear is that if care is not taken, town roads and highways will soon be encroached upon by estate developers,” he cautioned.
Citing Tema as an example, Mr. Koomson questioned the apparent lack of coordination among state institutions responsible for development regulation.
He expressed concern over situations where permits are issued for structures to be erected, only for another state agency to later demolish them.
“A situation where the Tema Municipal Assembly issues permits for structures to be constructed, and the Tema Development Corporation later moves in to demolish those same buildings, should be a matter of serious concern to the central government,” he noted.
Mr. Koomson stressed that addressing corruption within local government structures and strengthening planning regulations are critical steps toward preventing indiscriminate development and mitigating the devastating impact of floods across the country.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭