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Saturday downpour: …Parts of Accra flood again
A torrential downpour in the early hours of Saturday caused flooding in some parts of Accra particularly the Kaneshie Market area, First Light, Abossey Okai, Adabraka.
Worst hit was the ObetsebiLamptey Interchange where motorists had to use alternative routes to avoid the vehicles being swept by the raging floods.
The New Times Corporation was also hit by the floods.
Some communities at Tema and their environs within the region also experienced flood.
Choked gutters in the metropolis worsened the situation, as the rain water had no pathway to flow into the main drains.
Vehicles were seen trapped in the flood, creating inconvenience for commuters and traders who were on their way to work that morning.
Drivers parked their vehicles to wait for the level of the flood to reduce, while commuters in commercial vehicles got down to wade through the flood.
Some squatters in the area took advantage of the situation to make money-they carried people, especially women and children, on their backs to cross the flood for a fee.
Affected residents who had lost properties were seen wadding through the flood, trying to salvage any property they could find after the downpour.
The flood left huge piles of refuse at the affected communities. However, no death, according to an official at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), had been recorded.
Trading activities at the Central Business District in Accra delayed for several hours due to the rain and the floods.
The Ghana Meteorological Service had earlier issued a statement warning residents in the region of an imminent rainstorm in the region.
Despite the hours of early downpour, sunshine broke in the afternoon, and people were able to go about their normal duties.
Shops in Accra opened to traders and business activities after the rain, however, residents in some communities were unable to go out due to the flood.
Ghanaians have expressed anger over how a little rainfall could cause flood, especially in the capital.
The flood was one of the topical issues trending on social media on Saturday morning, with people sharing videos and expressing concern over the issue.
They called on the government and city authorities to help address the situation by clearing choked gutters and creating pathways for rain water.
Flood has become perennial concern in the country. Many lives are lost annually, with several properties destroyed as a result of flood.
On June 3, 2015, about 126 people passed away in a flood and a fire explosion at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.
However, the city continues to record flood every year.
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
