MTI urges war on illegal activities behind Ghana’s perennial flooding, says “The Time to Act is Now”

As the rainy season looms once again, the Mindset Transformation Initiative (MTI) has issued a passionate and hard-hitting statement calling for an all-out war on the illegal human activities responsible for Ghana’s devastating annual floods.

The advocacy group warns that the time for dialogue and finger-pointing is over—what the nation needs now is decisive, collective action.

In a strongly worded release titled “Declare War on Illegal Activities Fuelling Perennial Flooding — The Time to Act is Now,” MTI painted a grim picture of recurring destruction caused by floods each year—homes submerged, businesses ruined, roads washed away, and lives lost.

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But the organisation insists that the floods are not merely natural disasters—they are man-made crises rooted in negligence, lawlessness, and widespread indiscipline.

“These are not acts of nature alone; they are the painful consequences of human actions — or more accurately, inactions,” the statement read.

A Call for a National Mindset Revolution

The MTI is rallying all sectors of society—government institutions, local authorities, traditional rulers, the media, civil society, and ordinary citizens—to confront the root causes of flooding head-on. It calls for a complete shift in thinking, behaviour, and leadership, describing the crisis as “a national mindset issue” that must be urgently transformed.

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“We cannot continue to build on watercourses and pretend to be shocked when water claims back its path,” the statement said. “We cannot keep choking our drains with plastics and waste, then wonder why they overflow.”

The initiative blames widespread illegal activities such as building on watercourses, unregulated sand winning, indiscriminate waste disposal, and weak enforcement of building and sanitation laws for the recurring devastation.

According to MTI, these illegalities are the “real culprits” behind the crisis—not the rains.

Demands to Stakeholders

The Mindset Transformation Initiative has issued a list of firm and clear demands to key stakeholders, emphasising that words are no longer enough:

Government agencies must enforce laws without fear or favour. Illegal structures on waterways should be bulldozed, and perpetrators prosecuted. “Let the law bite—and bite hard.”
Municipal and District Assemblies must stop issuing permits that violate planning principles and lead sustained clean-up campaigns throughout the year, not only when the floods begin.
Traditional authorities are urged to halt the allocation of land in ecologically vulnerable areas that threaten lives and properties.
Citizens must stop littering and dumping refuse into drains and water bodies. “Take responsibility for your environment,” the statement urges.
The media should shift focus from disaster coverage to consistent education and investigative reporting that exposes those enabling illegalities.
Faith-based organisations and schools are encouraged to instil values of discipline, environmental stewardship, and civic responsibility in the next generation.

“Let this be our final year of ‘we should have done better,’” the statement added.

“Let this be the beginning of real change—not because we fear the rains, but because we respect ourselves and value human life and dignity.”

Beyond Seasonal Warnings: A National Emergency

MTI stresses that the flooding problem must be treated as a national emergency—not as a seasonal inconvenience or a partisan issue.

“This is not seasonal. It is not political. It is a Ghanaian problem. And it demands a Ghanaian solution,” the organisation declared.

The group commended Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) for some of their current efforts but warned that real impact would only be achieved when proactive measures are taken before the rains begin.

Calling for unity of purpose and patriotic responsibility, MTI declared;

“Let’s stop the annual lamentations. Let’s start acting. Think Ghana. Act Ghana. Build Ghana,” said the statement signed by Sidney Justin Tehoda, Executive Director of the Mindset Transformation Initiative.

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