Former President John Dramani Mahama has accused the government of mismanaging $150 million earmarked for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, which aims to improve flood control and solid waste management in the Odaw River basin.
He highlighted concerns over the lack of progress in addressing Accra’s flooding issues, despite the availability of substantial funds.
Mr Mahama further alleged that an additional $43 million provided by the World Bank for desilting major drains in the capital has also been squandered by the Ministry of Sanitation.
He expressed disappointment that despite the funds being allocated, the expected improvements have not materialized.
Speaking during a community engagement at Odorkor, as part of his Greater Accra Region campaign tour, Mr Mahama criticised the government’s handling of these funds.
He argued that the administration had ample resources to address the perennial flooding problems but failed to use them effectively.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer emphasized the need for transparency and accountability, calling for better management of public funds to address critical issues such as flooding and waste management in the country.
“The NPP government has received more money for flood management than any other government. The World Bank gave the Ministry of Sanitation $43million for distilling the Odaw drain the secondary drains. That money ended up under people’s beds,” he said in a veiled reference to the stacked cash found at the former Sanitation Minister’s residence.”
Mr. Mahama asserted that the funds allocated for the Ghana National Resilience and Adaptation Initiative for Development (GARID) would not be utilized for their intended purposes, alleging that government officials would misappropriate the money for personal gain.
He assured residents of Odorkor in the Ablekuma North constituency that the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will implement concrete measures to tackle the flooding issues in the area.
