Advisor on Gender and Social Protection to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2028 presidential candidate, Akosua Manu, has accused the Mahama administration of neglecting critical flood control projects in Accra despite the availability of funding under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, July 2, 2026, following the devastating June 29 floods, Akosua Manu alleged that the government placed greater emphasis on maintaining favourable fiscal indicators than implementing infrastructure projects aimed at protecting lives and property.
Her remarks come after reports that the World Bank attributed delays in implementing the GARID Project to fiscal controls introduced by the Ministry of Finance, despite funds being available for drainage and flood mitigation works.
According to Akosua Manu, the findings demonstrate what she described as the government’s failure to continue and complete flood prevention projects initiated under the previous administration.
“It is not about playing the blame game, but if accountability must be established, then the facts are clear. One administration secured funding, not a loan, to advance the long-standing vision of addressing Accra’s flooding challenge, while the current government has failed to utilise those resources to complete the work,” she said.
She argued that although funding had already been secured, implementation stalled because the government prioritised what she described as fiscal appearances over essential infrastructure projects.
“The funds were available, yet the focus appears to have been more on managing fiscal optics and making the economic figures look good on paper rather than executing critical flood control projects that directly impact lives and communities,” she added.
Akosua Manu also rejected attempts to draw comparisons between the previous and current administrations over the management of Accra’s flooding challenges.
“So if blame must be assigned, it will rest squarely at their doorstep. That is why I am surprised by some so-called neutrals attempting to create a false narrative. Between the two administrations, one secured the funding and ensured that about 40 percent of the work was completed, while the other sat idle with funds reportedly still available in the account. These are not my claims; they are findings contained in the World Bank report,” she stated.
The June 29 floods caused extensive destruction across several parts of Accra, displacing thousands of residents, damaging homes and businesses, and renewing calls for the swift completion of flood control projects in the capital.
