Frank Asiedu Bekoe
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Suhum, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, popularly known as Protozoa, has blamed the government for the Monday’s floods that claimed lives and destroyed property, describing the tragedy as a “systemic failure” caused by poor waste management and negligence.
Speaking in an interview with the media in Parliament, the MP expressed condolences to families who lost relatives in the floods and urged President John Dramani Mahama to compensate victims for what he described as the state’s failure to protect citizens.
“I have learnt that some people have died as a result of the flood. May their souls rest in perfect peace,” he said, adding that every government collects taxes from citizens with the responsibility of providing development and protecting lives and property.
Mr. Bekoe argued that the flooding was not simply the result of heavy rainfall but a consequence of years of poor sanitation management.
“The Assemblies have been receiving the monies meant to manage sanitation, yet they do not have the requisite equipment and the needed staff,” he stated.
The Suhum legislator said the absence of adequate landfill sites had encouraged indiscriminate dumping of refuse by some residents, worsening the blockage of drains and increasing the risk of flooding.
He questioned whether the Assemblies possessed tipper trucks and other logistics required to effectively manage waste despite receiving funds previously allocated for sanitation.
Referring to recent comments by the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, that some civil society organisations had advocated transferring waste management funds to the Assemblies, Mr. Bekoe asked whether the policy had yielded the expected results.
“What happened yesterday (Monday), I blame it largely on the government. It is a systemic failure. Government has given money for waste management to the wrong people. The MMDCEs have no requisite equipment to manage waste,” he said.
The MP maintained that the country has historically experienced heavy rainfall, citing major floods recorded in 1933, 1960, July 1995, June 3, 2015, as well as in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
He argued that the recurring disasters demonstrate that flooding is not an unusual occurrence but one that should be anticipated through proper planning and effective sanitation systems.
“This flood is as a result of our negligence,” he stressed, adding that “the state has failed us as far as waste management is concerned.”
Mr. Bekoe called on President Mahama to mobilise resources to compensate all flood victims, particularly families that lost loved ones and those whose homes and businesses were destroyed.
He further urged the political leadership to accept responsibility for the disaster, saying the political class, especially the current government, should “bow its head in shame” over the country’s inability to effectively manage waste and prevent avoidable flood disasters.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House