Alexander Afenyo-Markin
The Minority in Parliament has criticised the government’s response to the recent devastating floods, saying the victims deserve a national mourning period and a comprehensive sanitation policy rather than what it described as ad hoc measures.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who made the call on the floor of Parliament while contributing to the Business Statement, urged the government to show greater empathy for families who lost loved ones and property during the disaster.
According to him, although lives had been lost in the floods, there had been no official national mourning or presidential address to console affected families and reassure the nation.
“People have died, Mr. Speaker. People have died,” he stressed, and continued, “It is important that there is some official statement to commiserate and address the nation. We have seen other disasters where the President announced a national mourning. This we have not seen. That is very important.”
Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued that the scale of the disaster warranted a stronger national response, saying the suffering of ordinary Ghanaians should not be overlooked.
Calls for Sanitation Policy
The Minority Leader also urged the Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources to appear before Parliament to outline the government’s long-term policy for addressing sanitation and flooding.
He recalled that when the Minister for the Interior briefed Parliament on the floods, he had indicated that the government would come out with a comprehensive policy to tackle the perennial flooding problem.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin, however, said Parliament was yet to receive details of such a policy.
He maintained that the declaration of two national clean-up days, while commendable, was insufficient to address the underlying causes of flooding.
The Minority Leader criticised what he described as the government’s “knee-jerk” and ad hoc approach to flood management.
“Enough of the knee-jerk posture and the ad hoc measures. We don’t need them,” he said.
He stressed that any government genuinely committed to solving the country’s recurring flood crisis should, without delay, announce a comprehensive national sanitation policy.
Thousands Counting Their Losses
Mr. Afenyo-Markin lamented that thousands of flood victims, particularly low-income earners, had lost their homes, businesses and personal belongings, yet their plight had received inadequate national attention.
“Thousands lost property. Maybe because they are not public servants, they are not politicians, we are not talking about it. Many poor people lost their property. Many poor people lost their businesses,” he said.
Demands Accountability
The Minority Leader also demanded accountability for the GH¢350 million emergency allocation approved by Parliament to support flood response efforts.
He noted that both the Majority and Minority had unanimously supported the request when it came before the Finance Committee because of the emergency nature of the disaster.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin, however, said Parliament now expected the Minister for Finance to return to the House to account for how the funds had been disbursed.
He explained that the request was justified because Parliament had approved the funds under Article 177 of the Constitution in response to a national emergency.
The Minority Leader also raised concerns over the distribution of relief items by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), citing reports that baked beans distributed to victims in Agbogbloshie and Maamobi were later explained to be donations rather than items procured with public funds.
“When we raised it, we were told the baked beans were not part of the procured items but a donation. We do not know who donated them. This is an important matter that we believe the Finance Minister should brief this House on,” he stated.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House