Member of Parliament for Akrofuom, Joseph Azumah, has supported calls for a forensic audit into how $655 million intended for flood mitigation was spent.
He stated that it is unacceptable for the capital to experience such severe levels of flooding when this substantial amount has been allocated over the last twelve years to solve the problem.
He lamented that if such a vast sum has been spent on flood prevention and mitigation, yet the situation has deteriorated, a forensic audit is absolutely necessary.
The Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project was launched with $200 million in 2019 to target the flood-prone Odaw River Basin, later receiving a $150 million top-up in 2023 following the 2015 floods that inflicted $105 million in reconstruction costs.
Despite these massive commitments, Accra remains highly vulnerable because approved funding has not translated efficiently into ground-level infrastructure. Indeed, cumulative disbursement for the $350 million GARID project stands at just $138 million due to bureaucratic bottlenecks, compliance delays, and fund reallocations toward COVID-19 relief and other expenditures.
In his commentary, the lawmaker noted that this disparity demands a thorough investigation into how the money was utilised.
“From 2013 up to somewhere 2024, we must probe the matter. After the floods, some MPs raised issues about this matter and Parliament must take interest in the matter,” he stated.
He added, “we need to investigate and find out what money was used. All those who were around when the money was released must be made to answer. We must know whether the money was used for the purpose it was allocated for or wasted or diverted”.
Furthermore, the MP underscored the need for state institutions and their leaders to ignore the political consequences and take drastic action to resolve the flooding situation once and for all. He maintained that certain sacrifices must be made in addressing the perennial flooding for the long-term good of the country.
Meanwhile, Minister for the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak, has confirmed that 12 people have died as a result of the floods, while seven remain missing.
Additionally, over 7,500 households have been affected.
In response to the crisis, President John Dramani Mahama has since instructed the release of GH₵300 million as relief support and for activities aimed at tackling the immediate flooding situation.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
