Mahama Blames Chiefs, Developers for Flooding: “Illegal Structures Will Go

President John Dramani Mahama says illegal land sales and collusion between some traditional chiefs and private developers are to blame for Ghana’s recurring flooding.

Speaking to the Ghanaian diaspora in London during a high-level working visit, the President stressed that unauthorized structures built in waterways and wetlands are making the country’s flood crises worse.

Mahama maintained that Ghana’s problem is not flooding alone, but a deep urban planning and enforcement failure.

“Ghana does not solely have a flooding issue, but rather a severe urban planning and enforcement problem,” he told the gathering.

He pointed directly to the role of traditional leaders. During recent tours of flood-prone areas, Mahama warned that chiefs and developers who turn protected Ramsar sites and waterways into built-up zones are putting public safety at risk.

To tackle the blockages, the President has instructed Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to strictly enforce building codes.

He also authorized the creation of an Anti-Flood Taskforce to lead demolition exercises across the country.

Mahama was clear that illegal structures blocking waterways will be removed without exception.