Government says Accra floods were beyond city's drainage capacity

The Interior Minister, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has defended the government's response to the deadly floods that swept through Accra, insisting that no existing drainage system could have prevented the disaster that killed at least nine people.

Speaking after widespread criticism of the capital's recurring flooding, Mr Muntaka said the intensity of Monday's torrential rains overwhelmed the city's infrastructure, arguing that only an impossible transformation of Accra's landscape could have stopped floodwaters from inundating homes and businesses.

"We are really very sorry for the loss of life. We are sorry that this thing has really devastated Accra," the minister said during an interview on JoyNews' PM Express.

"But believe me, the only way this rain could have been avoided from going into people's homes was to turn the whole of Accra into one giant drain, because you can see it from the aerial view."

His remarks come as Ghana continues to count the cost of one of the capital's deadliest flood disasters in recent years.

The torrential rains submerged major roads, stranded thousands of commuters and destroyed homes and businesses across several communities, while emergency responders confirmed that at least nine people had lost their lives.

The Interior Minister acknowledged that government could strengthen its disaster preparedness but said Ghana's financial constraints limited its ability to respond to emergencies on the scale seen in wealthier countries.

"This country is not a rich country where we have shelters so we can collect people and put them there," he said.

"We have limitations in what we can do and in the resources we have. Yes, I agree we could do more, but let's not make it look like all politicians are people who are not thinking about the country."

Mr Muntaka said senior government officials remained on duty throughout the night as the crisis unfolded, adding that he was in constant communication with President John Mahama, who later visited flood-hit communities.

"I didn't sleep. I had to speak to the President early in the morning. I woke him up, and he has been asking questions almost throughout before going around to inspect the affected areas," he said.

The minister also outlined steps being taken to improve Ghana's emergency response system, revealing that he had worked with the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, to send emergency warning messages through mobile phone networks.

"I called him and asked whether the telcos could send messages to people. He was very swift. I believe that is what we need to be doing," he said.

Mr Muntaka disclosed that discussions had also begun at the Presidency to improve coordination between ministries before future emergencies, with plans for a more structured national disaster response.

He also questioned the timing of weather warnings, saying that while authorities had been informed to expect heavy rains during June and July, the specific alert for Monday's storm was issued only late on Sunday night.

"If you ask the Meteo person, when did they give us the actual alert that this would happen? It was at 11pm, when the majority of Ghanaians were asleep," he said.

The comments are likely to fuel debate over Accra's long-standing flooding problem, which experts have linked to inadequate drainage infrastructure, rapid urbanisation, construction on waterways and poor waste management.

As rescue and recovery operations continue across the capital, the government is facing renewed calls to accelerate investment in flood-control infrastructure and strengthen early warning systems to reduce the impact of future disasters.