President of Sierra Leone and ECOWAS Chairman, Dr Julius Maada Bio has urged Africa leaders to up their game in respect of disaster preparedness.
He made the call during a one-day state visit to Ghana on July 3.
The Sierra Leonean President said his visit was occasioned by the flood caused by heavy rainfall on June 29 in southern Ghana which resulted in devastating floods.
“Across West Africa, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and many other countries, we are witnessing increasingly frequent floods and landslides driven by the growing impact of climate change.
As African leaders, we must strengthen disaster preparedness, invest in resilient infrastructure, improve urban planning, protect our environment and deepen regional cooperation so that our countries are better equipped to withstand these increasingly complex challenges,” he said while speaking at the Jubilee House in Accra.
According to him, challenges posed by floods “are often compounded by rapid urbanization, unsafe construction, settlements in flood-prone areas, inadequate drainage infrastructure, and weak enforcement of planning and environmental regulations.”
Dr Maada Bio noted that, “The consequences extend far beyond the immediate humanitarian tragedy. They destroy livelihoods, threaten food security, damage critical infrastructure, disrupt trade and economic activity, and place increasing pressure on national resources, as you’ve just mentioned.”
“Climate change is therefore no longer simply an environmental concern. It is a development, humanitarian, economic and security imperative for our region,” he noted.
” In West Africa, when one nation suffers, we all feel the pain, and that is why I am here today,” Dr Maada Bio stated.
He told President Mahama that, “Today, I have come not only as a fellow president but as a brother from Sierra Leone, and as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority, to say to the people of Ghana: you are not alone. Your sorrow is ours, and together we will overcome these challenges.”
Please read full text below:
1. First, I thank you, your excellency and dear brother, for your warm welcome and the gracious hospitality that you have accorded me and my delegation.
2. It is always a pleasure to come to my second home, a sister nation with which Sierra Leone shares deep historical ties, enduring friendship and a common commitment to peace, stability and prosperity in our region.
3. I am here today first and foremost to convey, on behalf of the government and people of Sierra Leone, our heartfelt condolences and unwavering solidarity with the government and people of Ghana following the recent devastating floods that have claimed lives and caused widespread destruction.
4. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families, those who have been injured, and all those whose homes, businesses and livelihoods have been affected.
5. I also wish to commend your excellency for your leadership during this difficult period and to pay tribute to the emergency services, security personnel, healthcare workers, volunteers, faith-based organizations and ordinary citizens whose dedication and compassion have brought comfort and hope to those in need.
6. Sierra Leone has always stood with Ghana in moments of challenge, just as Ghana has always stood with Sierra Leone. Thank you.
7. The enduring spirit of solidarity is one of the defining strengths of the relationship between our two countries.
8. It reminds us that the bond between our two countries extends well beyond diplomacy. It is rooted in genuine friendship, shared values and the conviction that when one of us grieves, all of us grieve.
9. The recent floods are also a sobering reminder of our shared vulnerability as African nations.
10. Across West Africa, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and many other countries, we are witnessing increasingly frequent floods and landslides driven by the growing impact of climate change.
11. These challenges are often compounded by rapid urbanization, unsafe construction, settlements in flood-prone areas, inadequate drainage infrastructure, and weak enforcement of planning and environmental regulations.
12. The consequences extend far beyond the immediate humanitarian tragedy.
13. They destroy livelihoods, threaten food security, damage critical infrastructure, disrupt trade and economic activity, and place increasing pressure on national resources, as you’ve just mentioned.
14. Climate change is therefore no longer simply an environmental concern. It is a development, humanitarian, economic and security imperative for our region.
15. As African leaders, we must strengthen disaster preparedness, invest in resilient infrastructure, improve urban planning, protect our environment and deepen regional cooperation so that our countries are better equipped to withstand these increasingly complex challenges.
16. This is entirely consistent with our collective aspirations for a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous West Africa.
17. In West Africa, when one nation suffers, we all feel the pain, and that is why I am here today.
18. Today, I have come not only as a fellow president but as a brother from Sierra Leone, and as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority, to say to the people of Ghana: you are not alone. Your sorrow is ours, and together we will overcome these challenges.
19. Of course, as my brother has already stated, we have had candid discussions about challenges in our region, and I have invited him personally to attend the annual meeting. We have also discussed very pertinent issues.
20. We have exchanged views on regional peace and security, democratic governance, economic integration, and our shared determination to ensure that our community remains united, responsive and focused on improving the lives of our people.
21. I have greatly benefited from his counsel and wisdom that has helped Ghana come back from the brink.
22. Ghana has been a pillar of our regional community, and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration as we advance the ideas upon which ECOWAS was founded in the first place.
23. As Chair of the ECOWAS Authority, I remain committed to working closely with my colleagues to strengthen our community, preserve peace and constitutional order, deepen economic integration, and ensure that ECOWAS continues to respond effectively to the aspirations of our people.
24. The future of West Africa will not be built by nations acting alone, but by sovereign nations working together in solidarity, mutual respect and shared purpose.
25. That remains the enduring promise of ECOWAS, and together we must continue to uphold it for the benefit of our future generations.
26. Your Excellency, thank you once again for your friendship, your gracious hospitality, and Ghana’s steadfast commitment to our regional cooperation.
27. May God comfort the bereaved and all those who have been affected.
28. May God bless the people of Ghana, may God bless the people of Sierra Leone, and may God continue to bless the ECOWAS community.
