The United Party (UP) has called on government to revisit and implement urban Master Plans first developed in 1963 for Accra, Tema, Sekondi Takoradi, and Kumasi, arguing that successive administrations have failed to address Ghana’s recurring flood crisis.
In a statement signed by Solomon Owusu, Director of Communication, the UP noted that the original plans — abandoned after the 1966 coup — were designed for a population of 400,000 in Accra. With the capital’s population now exceeding 2.5 million, the party stressed the urgent need for amendments and modern variations to meet current realities.
The UP also proposed a Behavioural and Mindset Change policy, urging government to enforce discipline, promote patriotism, and improve attitudes toward work. “All these will work out if people entrusted with state power do not exhibit arrogance of power,” the statement read.
A separate media release from the party titled “Flooding in Accra and Other Parts of Ghana” criticized the inefficiency of past flood control strategies, such as desilting the Odawna, and compared Accra’s flooding challenges to global cities grappling with climate change and poor engineering. The UP called for renewed attention to flood management plans developed by Professor Maxwell Fry, Jane Drew, Governor Guggisberg, and Professor Hubert O. Hoegg.
The party expressed solidarity with families affected by the June 29 floods and urged immediate government action to implement sustainable solutions.
This intervention adds another voice to the growing chorus of political and civic actors demanding accountability and long-term planning in the face of worsening rainfall and urban vulnerability.
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