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President John Dramani Mahama has issued an urgent directive for the demolition of all buildings constructed on waterways at Mallam Junction in the Weija Gbawe Municipality.
This decisive action, he stated, is necessary to curb the devastating effects of recurrent flooding in the area, which has led to significant loss of lives and destruction of property over the years.
The President’s order comes after his recent inspection tour of flood-prone zones in Accra, where he engaged with city engineers, municipal officials, and residents to assess the scale of the issue.
During the visit, Mahama voiced his deep concern over the indiscriminate development of structures on waterways, describing it as a major cause of the frequent flooding in the region.
Speaking directly to municipal authorities and engineers, he questioned the decisions that allowed such unauthorized developments to take place. He stressed the natural role of the Mallam Junction area in managing stormwater, warning that encroachment would only aggravate the situation.
“The assembly here, how did you sit and allow this to happen? How did the assembly allow this to happen? And that is why you have the chief executive, have assembly members. They must be conscious of all this. These are waterways. Can you imagine the volume of water that this place alone can hold when it rains?
“And so if you fill it up and you say there should just be a drain passing through, the drain cannot contain that water. And so let’s do what we have to do. They should remove all these.”
Flooding remains one of the most critical urban challenges in Accra, particularly in areas such as Mallam Junction, Weija, Odawna, Kaneshie, and Circle.
The persistent issue has often been linked to inadequate drainage systems, poor waste disposal habits, and, most notably, the unlawful encroachment on floodplains and drainage routes.
Over the years, both environmental experts and residents have persistently called on the government to take action. However, despite past demolition exercises and repeated warnings, unauthorized developments continue to worsen the problem.
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