By Ashiadey Dotse
Corporate Affairs Officer at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and Government Spokesperson, Godwin Mahama Ayaba, has said that both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have failed to solve Ghana’s long-standing flooding problem, following recent floods in parts of Accra.
Speaking on GTV’s Breakfast Show on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, he said flooding and poor sanitation should not still be recurring problems if successive governments had taken the right actions over the years.
He explained that it is unfair for political actors to blame only one government, stressing that both the NDC and NPP have governed the country at different times but have not solved the challenge.
“It was one of the reasons why, by now, issues of flooding and sanitation should not be recurring. We cannot do politics with everything,” he said.
According to him, the failure to address flooding is the result of years of neglect by successive governments when they had the opportunity to act, especially when Ghana had a dedicated Ministry of Sanitation.
He said it is surprising that some people now act as though flooding is a new problem under the current government, when in reality it has existed for many years.
Mr. Ayaba added that recent flood scenes in areas where he grew up show how serious the situation has become, noting that such places had never experienced flooding before.
He identified three key causes of the problem: engineering failures, poor public behaviour, and government responsibility.
On engineering, he praised the current Minister for Roads and Highways for actively visiting project sites instead of staying in the office, saying this approach helps improve supervision and ensures proper construction standards.
He argued that direct supervision of projects is a positive policy shift that helps prevent contractors from cutting corners.
On public behaviour, he blamed citizens for worsening the situation by dumping waste into drains during rainfall. He said such actions block waterways and increase flooding, even though people later blame government for the problem.
“We must admit that we have not been fair to ourselves,” he noted, adding that citizens must also take responsibility for keeping the environment clean.
On government responsibility, he stressed that all governments past, present, and future must ensure proper drainage systems are built, especially in flood-prone areas where stronger engineering designs are required.
He indicated that flooding in Ghana cannot be blamed on one political party, adding that both the NDC and NPP must share responsibility.
“If all of us had done the right thing, we would not still be dealing with these flooding challenges today,” he said.
