By Sarah Baafi
Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has called on the government to officially commemorate the victims of the devastating floods that struck parts of Accra and other areas on June 29, saying the scale of the destruction and loss of life warrants a national response.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, July 14, Afenyo-Markin expressed concern over what he described as the government’s failure to formally address the nation and honour those who lost their lives in the disaster.
According to him, many vulnerable citizens suffered significant losses as a result of the floods.
“Many poor people lost their properties. Many poor people lost their businesses. We need the government to rise to the occasion and address the nation on this matter,” he said.
The Minority Leader also noted that no period of national mourning had been declared despite the fatalities recorded during the floods.
“Even after this matter, we have not seen any national mourning. People have died. It’s important that official statements be made to commemorate them and address the situation,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
He compared the government’s response to previous disasters, during which official periods of national mourning were announced by the President.
“We’ve seen other disasters where the President announced a period of national mourning, but we have not seen that in this case,” he added.
His remarks come amid growing concerns over the impact of the June 29 floods, which submerged several communities, displaced thousands of residents, and resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property across parts of the capital.
