Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has expressed the government’s condolences and apologised to Ghanaians following the severe flooding that left nine people dead and caused extensive damage to homes and property after heavy rains swept through parts of Accra.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, the Asawase Member of Parliament acknowledged the impact of the disaster and admitted that more could be done to strengthen the country’s disaster response efforts.
“We are deeply sorry for the loss of lives and the devastation caused by the floods,” he said, noting that government officials worked throughout the night as the situation unfolded.
Muntaka explained that although authorities had been aware of forecasts predicting heavy rainfall during June and July, the specific warning for Monday’s downpour was issued late on Sunday night.
According to him, one of the immediate actions taken was to coordinate with the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation to facilitate the transmission of emergency alerts to mobile phone users across the country. He commended the ministry for its swift response in engaging telecommunications companies to send out warning messages.
The Interior Minister further revealed that discussions are underway at the Presidency to improve coordination among relevant ministries and agencies in preparation for future emergencies.
He also highlighted the country’s limited resources as a challenge in managing large-scale disasters, noting that Ghana lacks the extensive emergency shelter systems available in wealthier nations.
While accepting that improvements are needed, Muntaka rejected claims that government officials had been indifferent to the crisis. He stated that he remained actively involved throughout the night, maintaining communication with President John Dramani Mahama and other key stakeholders as efforts were made to monitor and respond to the situation.
The minister argued that the intensity of the rainfall made flooding difficult to prevent entirely, adding that the scale of the downpour overwhelmed existing drainage systems in many parts of the capital.
The government has since pledged to strengthen preparedness and coordination measures to better manage similar incidents in the future.
