Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised the Ghanaian government’s response to recent floods, accusing it of contradicting its previous position on the causes of recurring flooding and contrasting President John Dramani Mahama’s actions with those of former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
Speaking as guest of honour at a Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) event on Thursday (2 July) at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) under the theme “Leadership and Youth Empowerment for Nation Building,” Afenyo-Markin said the devastating floods that hit parts of Accra and the Greater Accra Region exposed what he described as inconsistencies in the government’s approach to disaster management.
He argued that while the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), when in opposition, had blamed recurring floods on failures of leadership, it was now attributing the disaster to engineering challenges.
“They told us yesterday, when they were in opposition, that the floods in Ghana were a leadership problem,” Afenyo-Markin said.
“Today… after the worst flooding the capital city has seen in a generation… the government is back again telling us that the problem is an engineering problem and not leadership. That is a walking contradiction.”
He also criticised President Mahama’s decision to conduct an aerial inspection of flood-hit communities before announcing the release of funds from the national contingency fund.
Afenyo-Markin contrasted that with the response of former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, saying Bawumia visited affected communities on the ground, met victims and provided relief items.
“He did not fly above the pain and observe it from a safe distance. He went in. He walked through the mud of the affected communities,” Afenyo-Markin said.
“He shared their grief… because he understands that nation building begins with showing up when the nation is in pain.”
The Minority Leader urged students to embrace leadership rooted in service and commitment, saying young people had a critical role to play in national development.
Earlier at the event, NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye encouraged TESCON members to remain committed to the party despite its current position in opposition.
Boakye, a former TESCON president himself, said working for the party outside government demanded resilience and sacrifice.
“Working for the party in opposition requires dedication, commitment; you must be energetic to work for the party,” he told the students.
He also praised Afenyo-Markin for what he described as renewed efforts to strengthen TESCON nationwide, saying he had not seen a parliamentary leader devote as much time and energy to the student wing of the party.
TESCON is the student wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party and operates across tertiary institutions in Ghana.
