President John Dramani Mahama has directed all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to identify every structure blocking major drainage channels within their jurisdictions and earmark them for immediate demolition.
This, the President says, is part of the interim measures being taken to subdue the perennial flooding in the country, particularly in the capital.
His comment follows a downpour on Monday, June 29, 2026 which flooded several parts of Accra, destroying properties, displacing tens of thousands of people, with dozens losing their lives.
The downpour deposited approximately 140 millimetres of rainfall on Accra in a single day –Monday, which according to the Ghana Meteorological Agency is more than double the highest single-day figure of about 56 millimetres recorded in the whole of last year.
By the following day, Tuesday, June 30, the downpour had increased to 169mm due to the fresh rains that came at dawn.
After undertaking an aerial tour of the flooded areas to assess the full extent of the situation, President Mahama noted that the Government would not only pull down the obstructions but also clear away the resulting rubble for better results.
“Every metropolitan, municipal and district assembly will be directed, in collaboration with the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, to identify all obstructions along major drainage channels within their jurisdictions.
“These structures will be earmarked for removal,” the President said, adding that demolition without clearing debris would be pointless.
The President also announced that the National Security Council would convene an urgent meeting to address the flooding crisis, describing the scale of destruction as extensive and expressing deep sympathy for families who have lost their properties.
