Minority rejects Finance Minister’s claim of blocked GH¢350m flood relief fund
Vehicles are pictured in floodwaters Oct. 5, 2022, in a suburb of Accra, Ghana, after heavy rains caused spillage of the Weija dam. The dam, located in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, serves as the source of potable water for more than half of the 5.4 million population of the national capital. (CNS photo/courtesy St. Peter Church, Tetegu)
The Minority in Parliament has challenged the government’s claim that a court order freezing Ghana’s constitutional contingency fund prevented it from accessing money for emergency flood relief efforts.
Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Works and Housing Committee, said the explanation offered by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson raises serious questions about coordination within government.
His comments follow the Finance Minister’s disclosure during the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review that the contingency fund, which he described as Ghana’s only constitutionally established emergency fund, had been garnisheed, making it unavailable for flood response and mitigation measures.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, the Suame MP said it was difficult to understand how Cabinet could approve emergency interventions without knowing that the fund was legally inaccessible.
“That’s quite a big surprise,” he said, arguing that the Attorney-General, as government’s chief legal adviser and a member of Cabinet, should have been aware of the fund’s status before any public announcements were made.
Mensah Korsah suggested the development points to possible gaps in coordination among ministries and agencies responsible for disaster management.
He also rejected claims that the previous Akufo-Addo administration mismanaged the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, describing the allegations as “complete falsehoods.”
According to him, World Bank implementation reports issued in 2024 and 2025 did not identify any misuse of project funds. Instead, he argued that the reports highlighted delays in the release of funds needed to execute flood mitigation projects.
The exchange adds to growing political debate over government’s handling of recent floods in Accra, with calls for improved disaster preparedness, stronger infrastructure investment and faster implementation of flood-control projects.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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