The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has urged employers not to compel workers to report to work as severe flooding continues to affect parts of Accra, warning that no job is worth risking lives.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, June 29, the minister appealed to businesses to allow employees to work remotely where possible as emergency services respond to widespread flooding caused by heavy rains.
He acknowledged that the scale of the disaster stretched emergency responders.
“Our numbers are not enough to cover all the areas that have been affected, but we have deployed all the personnel we have, and we are doing all that we can to deal with the matter,” he said.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said employers should prioritise the safety of their staff rather than threaten them with sanctions for failing to report for work.
“But most importantly, to the employees and employers, let’s help to keep everybody alive. Employers should be mindful. Do not force people to come out, threatening that ‘if you do not come, I will not pay you or something’,” he said.
He urged employers to consider the long-term consequences of exposing workers to dangerous conditions.
“Remember if they are alive, they will come back the next day to work. If you force them to come out and something happens to them, you may end up spending more on them. If they should die, you will end up spending more at their funeral than you will spend today. So, let’s understand that and get them to work remotely,” the minister added.
His appeal comes as heavy overnight rains triggered widespread flooding across parts of the capital, disrupting transport, inundating roads and prompting safety advisories from government agencies.
The Interior Ministry has already advised residents of Accra to remain at home and work remotely where possible, citing forecasts of more rainfall that could worsen the flooding situation.
