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CONCERNED GHANAIANS
PRESS RELEASE: THE PRESIDENT HAS BLOOD ON HIS
HANDS.
Concerned Ghanaians wishes to proffer its
deepest condolences to those that have lost
family, friends and loved ones in the Goil
petrol station fire and the associated floods
that affected Accra on Wednesday June 3, 2015.
The floods that affect the capital on an annual
basis have led to death and destruction on an
unprecedented scale beyond the realms of
imagination.
Year after year, the people of Accra are deluged
by rains resulting in the flooding of the
capital – floods that frequently lead to loss of
property and, more gravely, loss of life. These
floods are nothing new. Any government worthy of
its name would have made it a national priority
to deal with the problem with alacrity. Yet,
what do we see? Government inaction, both at
local and national level, which has allowed the
floods to become an annual catastrophe.
The June 3rd disaster was the culmination of
government's ineptitude, inaction and
incompetence.
That Accra, as a city, lacks an adequate
drainage and sewerage system is an unarguable
fact. It is the fundamental cause why the
capital is prone to flooding. And yet, despite
these floods happening on a frequent, yearly,
basis, the government and the Accra Metropolitan
Assembly (AMA) have done nothing, bar the paying
of lip service, to address the inadequacies of
Accra’s drainage. All that is heard and seen
from the president is much smoke, mirrors and
plenty of hot air. A case in point – the ‘Accra
Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Project’.
Back in January 2013 in the midst of fanfare,
President Mahama cut the sod to kick-start the
aforementioned project. Yet it beggars belief
that, two and a half years after the launch of
this $663m project, there is no iota of evidence
of progress due to the allocated funds not being
released. One wonders why? Why has it taken the
deaths of over 150 people for President Mahama
to suddenly trigger the release of the funds
despite its approval by parliament long ago? It
raises questions as to what happened to the
allocated funds? Why the delay? Given the
rampant corruption that infests government and
its organs, one can only make inferences. It is
rather odd that the funds, hitherto held back,
are suddenly ‘found’ for a project that should
have kicked off long ago. The foul stench of a
rat hangs in the air.
Furthermore, the status of the Korle Lagoon is
open to question in the light of the events of
the past few days. This project, which was
apparently started years ago, shows no evidence
of progress. Indeed, the Korle Lagoon remains
the black filthy cesspool that it has been for
the past 50 years, rubbish strewn and liable to
spilling its filthy contents into the vicinity
of surrounding neighbourhoods – resulting in
disease and, by extension, death. Once again we
ask, what happened to the funds for this
project? The funds were allocated so where is
the evidence of project implementation? Yet
again, the spectre of graft and corruption looms
large.
Two examples of projects with funds allocated
and no evidence of them being started - let
alone completed. We can only conclude that
corruption has led to their current moribund
state; projects that should have alleviated the
annual Accra floods. Failure to even start said
projects has led to death and destruction. On
this basis, it can be concluded that both
central government, led by the incompetence of
President Mahama, and the AMA, led by the
incompetence of Alfred Vanderpuije, have blood
on their hands.
In their administrations, the two aforementioned
individuals have overseen a venal culture of
graft, corruption and incompetence that has cost
lives. Under their watch, organisations that
should legislate and enforce laws that should
have prevented the June 3rd disaster, have
failed in their duties. Rubbish is thrown into
open gutters with abandon, planning laws are
flouted resulting in structures being built with
no regard to flood zones or fire hazards,
building regulations are non-existent, the
practicing of open defecation has led to
epidemics such as the frequent outbreaks of
cholera - the list is endless. Prohibition of
the aforementioned practices require not only
the passing of laws, but their strong and robust
enforcement. Both central government and AMA
have failed in this regard. Corruption and
mismanagement have resulted in the stalling of
projects. The ultimate result has been the lives
lost through the Goil petrol station disaster,
the associated floods and epidemics of killer
diseases.
We wonder why the government is being so
lackadaisical and louche in the discharge of its
duties. Seemingly immune to the iniquities
Ghanaians continue to suffer, Mahama and
Vanderpuije swan about with their flunkies to
self-aggrandizing conferences and photo
opportunities, ignoring the realities outside
their ivory towers. The dump of a city that is
the nation’s capital is amongst the dirtiest
cities in the world. It is a polluted disgrace
with stench-ridden, disease infested tributaries
of open gutters coursing through the metropolis;
gutters that are likely to spill over in the
event of heavy rains. Filth reigns supreme and
there is garbage galore. Vanderpuije has
presided over this national embarrassment that
is the nation’s capital. If Mayor Vanderpuije
was a CEO of a company, his incompetence would
have rendered his position untenable. Thus we
call on him to do the honorable thing, take
inspiration from Sepp Blatter and resign - for
it is the right thing to do. He cannot carry on.
We understand that he has been hampered by an
incompetent central government, however he and
his administration have failed in even the
basics of municipal administration. Even simple,
relatively cheap provisions such as litter bins
are a rare sight in the Accra metropolis. Where
is his strategy? Where is his vision?
Vanderpuije, in the light of recent tragic
events, must go.
As for Mahama, the June 3rd disaster is the
nadir in a plethora of crises that he has
presided over under his watch - dumsor,
unemployment, depreciation of the Cedi, a health
service in turmoil, bird flu, a weakening of
financial services. Indeed, it is dumsor that
precipitated the Goil petrol station inferno.
For it was the starting of a generator after a
power cut that ignited fuel that lay on
floodwater. Mahama’s indifferent attitude to the
plight of Ghanaians has resulted in deaths. It
is the poor and the helpless that are bearing
the brunt of these crises. Are these lives
worthless to Mahama because of their perceived
lack of political importance?
Mahama’s default mechanism to any legitimate
criticism is to blame ‘opposition propaganda’,
despite the facts speaking for themselves. He
has lurched from crisis to crises, and the June
3rd disaster is the final straw.
Mahama literally has blood on his hands. His
indifference to the plight of the average
Ghanaian has resulted in deaths. He and his
administration are culpable of murder. That is
not too strong a term. He views the lives of
ordinary Ghanaians as cannon fodder on which to
build his political ambitions. Incompetence,
ineptitude and corruption have bedeviled his
presidency and that has led to loss of life.
Were the lives of ordinary Ghanaians of any
significance to him, he would have governed with
the aim of improving their lot rather than
assisting his coterie of associates. Yet every
day brings a new crisis. This cannot go on. This
must stop! We call on parliament to impeach the
president. The June 3rd disaster is the final
straw. Parliament must impeach Mahama for
murder. For he has blood on his hands. Ghanaians
cannot tolerate these iniquities any longer.
Mahama must go before his ineptitude causes any
more deaths. Parliament must do its patriotic
duty and remove him. The tolerance of Ghanaians
is wearing thin.
Should Parliament refuse to exercise its
authority, we are calling on the President
himself, to resign.
Again, while we extend our condolences to the
bereaved and affected families, may we remind
Ghanaians that this catastrophe was completely
avoidable. The President together with his
appointee the mayor of Accra have woefully
failed, thereby resulting in what happened on
June 3rd.
Signed
Accra June 11th 2015
Kwaku Ofosu
0545770380
Ofei Dei Goodfellow
0506377575
Atick Yakubu
0244635764
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