The Municipal Chief Executive of Ashaiman, Freeman Tsekpo, has appealed to the Ministry of Works and Housing to construct the Gbemi Storm Drain into a modern drainage system to help address the recurring flooding challenges in the municipality.

According to him, the drain, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Hydrological Services Department of the Ministry, has become old and requires urgent reconstruction to effectively contain stormwater and prevent flooding.

Mr. Tsekpo said the Assembly had over the years made several appeals through letters, meetings and lobbying for the construction of the drain.

“The challenge is funds. This type of drain, if you know how the architecture of the country in terms of projects are, you will see that this falls directly under the Ministry of Works and Housing.”

He explained that the Hydrological Services Department is responsible for natural water bodies, including rivers and streams, making the construction of the Gbemi Storm Drain largely a responsibility of the central government.

“I will reiterate the appeal that we have been making through letters, through meetings, through lobbying, that the Gbemi Storm Drain is of age and it is time that we construct it than to leave it as an extreme,” he said.

The MCE noted that Ashaiman had experienced significant flooding in the past, citing a major flood in 2010, another incident in 2018, and a relatively minor flooding incident between 2020 and 2024.

He attributed the absence of flooding during the June 2025–2026 rains partly to extensive dredging and desilting undertaken around the Adjei-Kojo area, which serves as an exit point for the drain.

Mr. Tsekpo said the Assembly currently desilts the drain every year as a temporary measure but stressed that a permanent solution was needed.

“For the time being, every year we desilt this very drain. We desilt it every year and we are just appealing that it should be constructed into a modern storm drain so that it will help alleviate the challenges of flooding within the municipality,” he said.

Sanitation Offences

The MCE made the appeal when the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly joined communities across the country to observe the National Sanitation Day. 

He expressed concern about the practice of residents dumping refuse into the storm drain, warning that such activities could undermine efforts to prevent flooding.

“We are having a three-in-one cleanup exercise and this is one of our storm drain areas. Unfortunately, the people living by the drain have turned this place into their refuse dump,” Mr. Tsekpo said.

He disclosed that the Assembly would establish a satellite monitoring system at the location to monitor activities around the drain and deter residents from returning to the practice after the clean-up exercise.

“We are setting up a satellite monitoring system here so that after this exercise, we will not see this thing again,” he added.