Never again! A clarion call to end the floods in Accra

It is recorded that Accra has experienced floods with some associated deaths and destruction of properties for many years but the scale of destruction and fatalities caused by the floods of June 3, 2015 is unparalleled.

The Accra floods are perennial and predictive with the potential for an increasing rate of fatalities and displacement.

Causes of floods in Accra

There is enough literature and information to identify some of the causes of the floods in Accra as poor development planning; weak early warning system; poor drainage system; rapid urbanisation; building on watercourses; poor handling of aftermath effects of floods; inadequate investment in flood control measures and infrastructure; poor disposal of garbage and choked drains.

The floods are symptomatic of a complex mix of social, economic, hydrological and behavioural problems which make a statement of fact that we have abused the value of common good.

Commonly put, the floods in Accra tell the tale of the tragedy of the commons which is a theory that describes what occurs when individuals neglect the well-being of society in the pursuit of personal gain.

Much as a section of the public wants us to concentrate on addressing the problems of the floods and not apportion blames, the causes and the remedial measures to minimise the floods fall within the range of responsibilities of state institutions and duty-bearers who are funded by the taxes paid by citizens to protect their interest and ensure that these problems do not persist.

Responsibility vacuum

Responses to the question as to why duty bearers and people entrusted with the responsibility to take decisions to protect the citizenry have failed to act in the interest of the common good would provide answers that can be used to write volumes of books.

It can be predicted that the issue of corruption and non- performance will feature prominently in a catalogue of reasons why we pay people to do exactly the opposite of what we expect of them.

Ghanaians expect their regulators to ensure that nobody builds on a watercourse but this has become the norm. Our expectation is that the government will invest in the development of flood control infrastructure but the opposite is the reality. There are relatively good conditions of service for some duty bearers to guarantee a no-filth environment but we are engulfed in filth.

Early warning

We know where the floods occur, when they would occur, why they occur and what to do when they occur, yet our poor early warning system does not provide safeguards against floods and needless fatalities.

Innocent people are not dying through the floods, they are being killed by the neglect of public systems and we are facing the aggregate effect of the tragedy of the commons. Individuals with names are responsible for the flood carnage and not the floods.

Sadly, unlike France where somebody was held responsible for floods that killed four people, since the occurrence of the “Black Wednesday” floods, nobody has been held responsible. It is as if nobody was in charge and the responsibility vacuum can only point to a leadership paralysis.

It may also be that the paucity of public sector investment in areas of poor waste management and flood control infrastructure which are some of the major causes of the floods, coupled with institutional weakness may place the problems right on the table of those entrusted with political authority to act and therefore they have to take ultimate responsibility for the inactions of public servants.

According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , 2,800 tonnes of municipal solid waste is generated per day in Accra. Approximately 2,200 tonnes is collected leaving backlog of 600 tonnes in open drains, and water bodies which results in flooding during the rainy season.

The EPA states further that almost 97 per cent of all public-owned and public-managed sewage/faecal treatment plants are non-functional (Accra, Tema).

Out of the 35 institutional treatment plants in the country, only four are operational. This implies that only one per cent of the sewage generated in the country is treated. Twenty three per cent of households practice open defecation.

The picture of our waste management situation tells the whole story that the government has the responsibility to change the situation and then demand responsible actions from all actors on the responsibility chain.

Never Again

The grief and pain that gripped our nation on June 3, 2015 would stay with us for a long time to come. The ghastly pictures of dead bodies which occupied every space in the print and electronic media were very difficult to watch. Reactions from organised labour, religious groups and the citizenry affirms that Ghanaians do not want a repetition of the “Black Wednesday”.

The statement of the Trades Union Congress, Ghana, on the floods of June 3,2015 stated unequivocally in a letter to the President of the Republic of Ghana thus , “Your Excellency, please do not allow any Ghanaian to die again because of floods. If the only legacy you can bequeath us is a flood-free Ghana, we will appreciate it and we will remember you forever”.

Lasting Monument

The tragedy of the flood was needless and avoidable. The greatest lesson of the tragedy is the fact of system failure in many areas of our national life. Karl Marx stated many years ago that, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways.

The point, however, is to change it”. We have enough information on the causes of the floods and many solutions have been proffered. The challenge is how to change the situation. We should be working towards making changes to ensure that systems work efficiently.

We are a nation that easily forgets and in the words of George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Since we do not have to forget the national trauma of June 3, 2015, my proposal is that we should build a national monument in memory of the about 200 people who lost their lives in the flood and fire.

All the names of the identified dead people should be engraved on the monument. The picture of the dead mother with her dead child on her bosom could represent the national pain on the monument. A statement “never again shall we allow such a national catastrophe to occur by our actions and inactions” should be inscribed on the monument.

The monument will remind people entrusted with national care and responsibilities of the tragedies that their actions and inactions inflict on the nation if they fail to act in the best interest of our nation.

The writer is the General Secretary of the Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress, Ghana and a co-founder of Wacam. Writer’s email : [email protected]