FOR very good reasons, we return to the issue of the floods that hit parts of the country last Sunday, leaving in their wake tragic consequences. We do so because it appears that we have learnt few or no lessons from the mistakes of the past and we are continually faced with the same problems or worst conditions.
It is said that those who do not learn from history are doomed. And it is precisely for this reason that we call on Ghanaians to take a cue from President J. E. A. Mills’s plea.
During his visit to the affected areas in Greater Accra and parts of the Central Region on Tuesday, the President made a passionate appeal to Ghanaians to learn from the havoc caused by last Sunday’s downpour.
The DAILY GRAPHIC salutes the President for hitting the nail right on the head. We also think the downpour should serve as a wake-up call for all stakeholders in the physical development process, such as government agencies, landowners and developers, to respect the regulations.
We mince no words in saying that the weekend flood disaster was caused largely by the failure of leadership at the various levels of society to enforce law and order.
For instance, landowners have been given a field day to do anything with their land, without due regard for central planning and development. Land sale and development in Accra and other urban centres in the country are in a complete mess.
The lands in these urban centres have been sold to estate developers and individuals to undertake the construction of residential and office accommodation, leaving no green land for agricultural activities, parks and land reserves.
Unfortunately, in Ghana, lands in the urban centres have been mortgaged for brick and mortar enterprises, to the detriment of sustainable development. The district assemblies have reneged on their statutory functions of ensuring that physical development is subjected to laid-down standards and regulations.
In cases where district assemblies decide to act, they do so only because they have some personal interest or gain. The enforcement of regulations has become such a huge joke that some developers believe that officials of the assemblies write “stop work” on some physical structures only as a euphemism for “come and see us in chambers”. Thereafter, nothing happens until a disaster such as what happened last “Black Sunday” when some 35 lives were lost to the floods.
Our various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) cannot escape blame, either. The Town and Country Planning Department, for instance, looks on in helpless amazement while developers encroach on government land.
Most developers who have constructed on government lands and water courses also claim they have appropriate documents to the lands to construct those structures.
The Daily Graphic thinks that the time to act decisively to bring those who are bent on making life uncomfortable for ordinary citizens to order to avert what happened last Sunday.
We think that if the law cannot catch up with landowners and developers because they act in their private capacities, at least the officers of state who connive with these people can be made to face the full rigours of the law.
The Daily Graphic calls on all Ghanaians to de-politicise the debate on land and its use in order to avoid any disaster in future. We also urge our compatriots who, through their toil and sweat, want to put roofs over their heads to do the right thing and avoid encroaching on government lands, water courses, school lands and forest reserves.
Never again should we have a repeat of ‘Black Sunday’.
The Daily Graphic extends its condolences to the families who lost their relations through the floods and wishes those on admission a speedy recovery.
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