Former Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, has defended President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to conduct an aerial assessment of the devastating floods that swept through parts of Accra last week, dismissing criticism that the President should have toured the affected communities by road.
President Mahama came under public scrutiny after opting to inspect the flood-hit areas from a military helicopter following the torrential rains that inundated several parts of the capital on Monday, June 29.
While some critics argued that the President should have travelled by road to interact directly with affected residents and witness the destruction firsthand, others maintained that an aerial survey provided a broader view of the disaster and allowed for quicker assessment.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, July 4, Afotey-Agbo insisted that the President’s decision was both practical and necessary given the conditions on the ground at the time.
“You can’t blame the president for going up at the time because everywhere was flooded and the vehicles wouldn’t have been able to move fast enough to know exactly the extent of damage that is why he went up to ascertain what happened within a short time.
“I used to fly to the Ada area, the Volta region and then fly to the Bortiano and Weija area within a short time and then go to the Airforce base to land and then go on the ground to start working.”
The floods submerged roads, homes and businesses across several communities, leaving commuters stranded, damaging property and disrupting economic activity.
The scale of the disaster prompted emergency response efforts from state agencies while renewing concerns over Accra’s perennial flooding problem.
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