Works and Housing Committee Chair demands GARID contract review over alleged political interference
Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, the Chairman of Parliament’s Works and Housing Committee, has called for a comprehensive review of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project.
He blamed political interference for its underperformance.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr Oppong Asamoah said the contract should be reassessed, to ensure the project delivered lasting solutions to the Greater Accra Region’s persistent flooding.
Mr Oppong Asamoah, also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa West, was commenting on the assessment of the flood mitigation programme on the Floor of the House.
He said, “Mr Speaker, GARID has failed. You all know that GARID failed because of some personal interest and political issues. And I urge the current President and our current administration to review the contract.
Where it demands termination of contract, let’s terminate it and re-award it so that next year we will not be here talking about the same thing.”
He argued that the project had not achieved its purpose because of “political and personal interests influencing its implementation.”
GARID forms part of the government’s flood mitigation strategy for Greater Accra, and the project includes solid waste management, drainage improvement works, and other interventions aimed at reducing flooding and it was scheduled to be completed in 2027.
The call comes in the wake of Monday’s devastating floods that killed 12 people and affected more than 38,000 residents in the capital, renewing focus on the effectiveness of flood control investments.
The government has since announced the release of GH₵300 million from the contingency fund for relief and mitigation and had planned to demolish structures on six encroached wetlands in Accra.
Source: GNA