Former Greater Accra Regional Minister Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover has blamed the cancellation of a major sanitation contract involving Zoomlion Ghana Limited and poor waste management practices for worsening flooding in Accra and other parts of the country.
He argued that the disruption to routine street sweeping and refuse collection has resulted in the accumulation of waste in drains, obstructing waterways and exacerbating flooding during heavy rains.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Mr Glover said the absence of consistent sanitation services has left the capital increasingly vulnerable to flooding. He specifically cited changes to sanitation arrangements, including the cancellation of the Zoomlion contract under the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), which he said has disrupted waste management operations for nearly a year.
“Another problem that I have identified is our inability to continue the sweeping in the metropolis, in the towns; the cancellation of the Zoomlion contract, from last year, for almost a year now, look at the number of refuse that are in the water and ends up in the ocean,” he stated.
Mr Glover maintained that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) lack the logistical, financial and operational capacity to fully assume responsibility for street sweeping and sanitation services.
“The assemblies don’t have the capacity. Logistically, materially, financially, they don’t have the capacity. The person who has the capacity to do this, you’ve asked him to stop the work. He is doing it in 29 African countries. Lagos alone, he has 25 years contract and he’s working to collect these refuse for the time,” he said.
The former minister also warned that major water bodies, including the Sakumo Lagoon, could overflow if sanitation challenges are not addressed urgently.
“If there should be continuous rain for the next five hours, I can tell you the Sakumo Lagoon will overflow onto the road,” he warned.
Mr Glover called for sustained waste collection, regular desilting of drains and stronger sanitation systems to reduce the risk of future flooding.
He also advocated stricter enforcement of sanitation regulations and greater accountability, insisting that poor waste disposal practices should attract sanctions.
“Attitude of our people, people need to be punished. We need to set examples for people to know that what you are doing is bad,” he said.
His comments come amid growing public concern over recurring floods and renewed debate over urban sanitation and waste management in Ghana’s major cities.
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