The Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Michael Harry Yamson, has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to use their existing legal powers and financial resources to address Ghana’s persistent flooding, arguing that the country’s biggest challenge is enforcement rather than a lack of laws or funding.
In a policy paper titled “The Flood is Already in Your Mandate: What Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies Must Do Now,” Yamson said Ghana already has the legal framework, institutions and financing needed to tackle flooding, but has fallen short because of weak enforcement, poor coordination and inconsistent political commitment.
“The deficit in Ghana’s flood response is not in law, not in institutions, and not in money. The deficit is in sequencing, enforcement, and the willingness of every tier of government to exercise the powers it already holds,” he wrote.
Mr Yamson’s paper was issued for official circulation to MMDAs following an open letter from a citizen, Moses Kanduri, who appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive action against recurring floods.
While acknowledging the concerns raised, Yamson argued that most of the proposed solutions are already embedded in Ghana’s existing governance framework.
He pointed to measures already undertaken by the government, including the establishment of a National Anti-Flood Taskforce, implementation of the World Bank-funded Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project, and the decision to channel 80% of District Assemblies Common Fund allocations directly to MMDAs to strengthen local development.
Mr Yamson urged assemblies to intensify planning enforcement by issuing stop-work orders, abatement notices and, where necessary, undertaking statutory demolitions against developments that obstruct waterways, while ensuring due process is followed. He also called on assemblies to audit compliance with riparian buffer zone regulations and begin the legal removal of encroachments.
He further encouraged MMDAs to prioritise drainage projects using their DACF allocations, including desilting drains, maintaining culverts, and constructing last-mile drainage infrastructure to complement larger flood-control projects under GARID. Assemblies should also integrate flood resilience into their Medium-Term Development Plans, he said.
On community relocations linked to flood control projects, Mr Yamson stressed that assemblies must comply with constitutional and legal requirements on compensation and resettlement, warning that any attempts to bypass due process could result in legal challenges and public opposition.
Describing weak enforcement as Ghana’s central governance challenge, Mr Yamson said consistent application of planning laws was essential to preventing future disasters.
“We have the legislation. We have the institutions. We have, increasingly, the financing. What we have historically lacked is consistent enforcement,” he wrote.
He announced that the DACF would work with relevant ministries and the National Development Planning Commission to monitor flood-related spending by assemblies, align funding with district flood resilience plans and improve accountability for the use of public resources.
“The floods are not waiting for new laws. The mandate is already yours. Use it,” he said.
