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Dr. Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, the Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), has announced that unauthorized structures will be demolished as part of intensified efforts to tackle the growing issue of flooding across Ghana, particularly in Accra.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Dr. Kuyon highlighted that solving the country’s ongoing flooding challenges will require difficult but necessary decisions, including the removal of illegal structures and the dredging of vital water channels.
“To solve a problem, there must be some discomfort, so people will have to incur some displeasures based on the actions that will be taken to ensure that the rest of us are safe. Some structures will have to be pulled down,” he stated.
He further stressed the importance of restoring the natural flow of water bodies to avoid serious consequences for affected communities.
“Those who have started filling these places will have to stop, and we will dredge these places to restore them to their original state for them to play the role they are supposed to play because the ecosystem is disturbed,” Dr. Kuyon explained.
He also warned that failing to restore the natural flow would have dire consequences for the communities in these areas.
“If you don’t restore it, what it means is that the lives that are in this system will suffer. So, there will be dredging, there will be demolishing, and we have to do it when we have to ensure that the flooding that is envisaged is effectively managed,” he said.
While acknowledging that Accra often dominates discussions about flooding due to its severity, Dr. Kuyon clarified that the problem is not limited to the capital.
“Flooding is not only peculiar to Accra, but it is because we see a serious problem in Accra that is why the conversation is always centred around Accra,” he remarked.
In response to concerns about the fairness and technical basis of the upcoming demolitions, Dr. Kuyon assured the public that the process would not be arbitrary.
“We don’t demolish with a layman’s eye. We [have] engineers, technocrats who are going to be part of this team, [and they] are going to advise. Where structures are supposed to be pulled down, they will. Where it is possible to redirect the direction of water, and not necessarily tamper with people’s property, that will be done,” he concluded.
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