Former Minister for Roads and Highways and Member of Parliament for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has called on the government to declare a one-week national flood emergency preparedness exercise amid forecasts of more heavy rainfall.

Making a statement in Parliament on Tuesday, June 30, Asenso-Boakye said the exercise should mobilise Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Hydrological Services Authority, security agencies and other stakeholders to intensify preventive measures ahead of more forecast rainfall.

"With more heavy rains forecast, I respectfully call on Government to declare a one-week national flood emergency preparedness exercise to enable Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, NADMO and the Hydrological Services Authority, the Security Agencies and other stakeholders to intensify desilting, clear blocked drains, remove obstruction from waterways, preposition emergency teams and strengthen public education," he told Parliament.

His appeal follows Monday's devastating floods in parts of the Greater Accra Region, which have reportedly claimed 12 lives, displaced 38,802 residents, affected 7,761 households and caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.

The Bantama legislator also expressed concern over what he described as a lack of sustained political commitment to major flood mitigation projects, particularly the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project.

He urged the government to brief Parliament on the status of ongoing flood-control infrastructure, saying key projects initiated before the previous administration left office, including the Odaw dredging works, the Achimota Abofu Drain, the South Kaneshie Drain and the Busia Highway drainage improvements, must not be allowed to stall.

"It is regrettable that reports suggest that several of these projects have slowed down or stalled. I therefore urge government to provide this House with a comprehensive update on their status and ensure their timely completion," Asenso-Boakye said.

The call comes as authorities continue emergency response efforts following one of Accra's worst flooding incidents in recent years, while weather forecasts indicate a high probability of additional rainfall in the coming days.