Associate Professor at the School of Law, University of Ghana, Prof. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has criticised successive governments for failing to address the causes of perennial flooding in Ghana, describing it as a sign that leadership takes the lives of citizens for granted.

He was speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, 24th May, in reaction to the recent floods that hit parts of the Greater Accra Region.

According to Prof. Appiagyei-Atua, the flooding problem is rooted in “a culture of indiscipline,” which is evident both in the failure of law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance and in the irresponsible behaviour of individuals who continue to build in waterways.

• Read also: NADMO confirms 5 deaths in Accra floods, blames poor drainage, urban planning failures

“The problem is not just with leadership. It also has to do with indiscipline on the part of the law enforcers and also on the part of those who build,” he noted.

His remarks follow confirmation by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) that five people lost their lives in the latest flooding incident on Sunday, 18 May.

The organisation blamed the fatalities on poor drainage infrastructure and unregulated urban planning, issues that have long plagued the capital city’s flood management systems.

Speaking to Channel One TV, NADMO’s Director of Inspectorate, Richard Amo Yartey, revealed that “three of the deaths occurred in the Ga East Municipality, while two others were reported in Adenta.”

He stressed that unless urgent action is taken to improve infrastructure and enforce regulations, such tragedies will continue to repeat themselves.