It started as a normal day and it even got better when I had the chance to take a selfie with Stonebwoy. I thought my day was going to end on a good note. Still beaming with smiles from my selfie moment with stonebwoy, I quickly rushed to my last meeting for the day, I was already 45 minutes late.
It was raining and I thought it would subside so I was not bothered, I walked into the meeting and after two hours the meeting ended. The rain had not stopped so we decided to stay on and wait till the rain stopped, we are completely oblivious of the flooding that had occurred at the car park.
It was raining and I thought it would subside so I was not bothered, I walked into the meeting and after two hours the meeting ended. The rain had not stopped so we decided to stay on and wait till the rain stopped, we are completely oblivious of the flooding that had occurred at the car park.
We only became aware when we heard people calling on those with their cars parked at the car park to move them because the car park was beginning to get flooded. Before we could say Jack, the whole compound was flooded, next thing we realized was water rushing in from the back of the building, within 10 minutes the water was up to the ankle level.
Everything was happening too fast, water gushing in, current was too strong for the reception door. We had to think fast, one of the guys volunteered to hold the door to keep it shut whilst others tried to carry equipment upstairs, when the water reached the waist level we decided to all rush upstairs and take cover.
Everything was happening too fast, water gushing in, current was too strong for the reception door. We had to think fast, one of the guys volunteered to hold the door to keep it shut whilst others tried to carry equipment upstairs, when the water reached the waist level we decided to all rush upstairs and take cover.
The water level kept rising, we were scared, we prayed, we tried to joke around to keep our minds off the tragedy. As we looked out the window to see the flood water level, we saw the most heartbreaking scene. We saw a heavily pregnant woman carrying her little girl and holding the hand of her son. They were stranded, pregnant woman kept wailing uncontrollably we asked her to come and take shelter where we were, it was not 100% safe but it was certainly better than her walking through the floods to God knows where.
My shock turned into anger when all the emergency lines were not going through, in an emergency one would think that the one thing you could count on was having the emergency lines work. Not in this country, emergency lines do not work when we needed it to. We got a number to the military rescue team, we called but they could not get to us.
My shock turned into anger when all the emergency lines were not going through, in an emergency one would think that the one thing you could count on was having the emergency lines work. Not in this country, emergency lines do not work when we needed it to. We got a number to the military rescue team, we called but they could not get to us.
We were stuck, scared, tired and had to endure a million mosquito bites, the rains had not even stopped, the water level was rising steadily, we were on a floor that was made of wood and we were scared that the wood would become weak because the water had almost covered the first floor. Luckily for us a colleague who was not trapped with us called her brother who was in the military and they came to rescue us in the morning at 5.15.
On my way home, still traumatized and crying I heard the mayor talk. I was incensed, his voice irritated me and I was annoyed at the gibberish he was spewing. We live in a city which is unplanned, our mayor is more concerned about his popularity than actually working, and he is more concerned about the billboards that have his photo displaying an award or welcoming his guest than actually working.
On my way home, still traumatized and crying I heard the mayor talk. I was incensed, his voice irritated me and I was annoyed at the gibberish he was spewing. We live in a city which is unplanned, our mayor is more concerned about his popularity than actually working, and he is more concerned about the billboards that have his photo displaying an award or welcoming his guest than actually working.
We have a mayor who thinks that turning Accra into a millennium city means abolishing the shift system, I am sick and tired of the incompetence.
When it floods, he will go out and tour, access the damage, express concern and blame building in waterways for his incompetence. Wake up sir!! You have been mayor for years, this is not the first time Accra has flooded, this is not the first time your so-called millennium city has flooded, this is not the first time you have toured and expressed concern.
When it floods, he will go out and tour, access the damage, express concern and blame building in waterways for his incompetence. Wake up sir!! You have been mayor for years, this is not the first time Accra has flooded, this is not the first time your so-called millennium city has flooded, this is not the first time you have toured and expressed concern.
What have you done after your numerous tours? What exactly have you done? The odaw has vegetation growing in it, were you not supposed to dredge it? Did you not promise to do so at your last tour? Between then and now what have you exactly done? You are too busy directing traffic, harassing drivers and mounting up billboards in your honor. Why are you even still mayor?
You preside over a city where your workers are more concerned about taking 2 cedis from hawkers than fixing the sanitation in the parks these hawkers work, you preside over a city which discharges raw sewage into the sea and you preside over a city that cannot survive a heavy downpour.
You preside over a city where your workers are more concerned about taking 2 cedis from hawkers than fixing the sanitation in the parks these hawkers work, you preside over a city which discharges raw sewage into the sea and you preside over a city that cannot survive a heavy downpour.
What would we do if we had tsunami here under your watch? Would we survive? I know it floods everywhere but ours is an annual thing. What happened to the storm drains you were supposed to construct, what’s your plan for the city this rainy season? Can you share that plan with us?
We were traumatized, me, a pregnant woman and her children and about 15 other people almost drowned on Wednesday. One behalf of all those who were stuck in a compound which had water level up that almost covered up the wall and gates, on behalf of all those who had to literally stay awake because the mosquitoes were feasting on our bodies, on behalf of those who had to walk in water which came up to our chest just to climb into the military assault raft, on behalf of all those who wept when we were rescued I say thank you to God, the colleague who called her brother in the army to help us and the military men who rescued us.
To all our family and friends who stayed awake with us, to all those who whatsapped and kept calling till they heard we were safe at home, to all those who prayed for us, to all those who called after they heard our ordeal just to check on us we say God bless you. We are traumatized but grateful to God to be alive. Great is his faithfulness.
Written By Akosua Ogyiri
We were traumatized, me, a pregnant woman and her children and about 15 other people almost drowned on Wednesday. One behalf of all those who were stuck in a compound which had water level up that almost covered up the wall and gates, on behalf of all those who had to literally stay awake because the mosquitoes were feasting on our bodies, on behalf of those who had to walk in water which came up to our chest just to climb into the military assault raft, on behalf of all those who wept when we were rescued I say thank you to God, the colleague who called her brother in the army to help us and the military men who rescued us.
To all our family and friends who stayed awake with us, to all those who whatsapped and kept calling till they heard we were safe at home, to all those who prayed for us, to all those who called after they heard our ordeal just to check on us we say God bless you. We are traumatized but grateful to God to be alive. Great is his faithfulness.
Written By Akosua Ogyiri
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