Accra Floods: Mahama touches hearts and minds

President John Dramani Mahama’s prompt action in the wake of last Wednesday’s devastating twin tragedy of flood and fire outbreak in Accra has earned him several admiration with a cross-section of the populace, the Republic Newspaper can report.

Within hours of the outbreak that claimed the lives of almost 200 people in Accra alone, President Mahama announced a GHC 50 million compensation package for victims; he personally oversaw other solidarity initiatives such as a three-day nationwide mourning and the accompanying memorial service for the dead and injured.

On Wednesday, the memorial service was heavily attended by dignitaries in the country, including the President himself.

Meanwhile, the President, in the wake of the disaster, quickly appointed General Francis Vib Sanziri as the acting National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

That position had been vacant before the disaster, following the resignation of the then substantive Coordinator, Kofi Portuphy, who eased himself out to take up his new role as the National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The government has already tasked NADMO and other security agencies to carry out a post disaster assessment to enable government undertake the necessary deployment of relief items to the survivors of the tragedy.

The government has also decided to underwrite the medical bills of all those who got injured in the disaster and receiving treatment in various hospitals.

Already, the twin tragedy has attracted global attention as messages of condolence pour in from both Africa and the rest of the world. Top global news agencies such as the BBC, CNN, Aljazeera, Reuters, among others have highlighted the situation on their networks, attracting global solidarity.

The double disaster claimed about 152 lives and destroyed properties worth millions of cedis last Wednesday.

The devastating inferno cum massive flooding followed hours of prolonged downpour that led to power outages in several communities. A large number of the victims were believed to be taking shelter at a fuel station in Accra to escape the downpour when an explosion occurred.

Hundreds more also sustained various degrees of injury and are receiving treatment at different hospitals in Accra.