In a story published on graphiconline, residents of Mallam in the Weija Gbawe Municipality have called on the Ghana Armed Forces and other state security agencies to intervene and stop the activities of heavily armed land guards allegedly protecting an illegal landfill operating within a critical watercourse.
According to residents, the landfill has become a major contributor to the persistent flooding that affects the community whenever it rains. They explained that the continuous dumping of refuse has blocked natural drainage channels, preventing storm water from flowing freely and leading to the destruction of homes, roads and other public infrastructure.
Investigations indicate that tricycle waste operators from different parts of Accra dump refuse at the site daily, despite repeated complaints. Residents claim attempts by municipal authorities and other public officials to stop the illegal dumping have been frustrated by armed men believed to be land guards, making enforcement of environmental regulations nearly impossible.
Drone images reportedly show heaps of waste covering sections of natural watercourses, although environmental assessments are needed to determine the full extent of the damage. Residents also warned that the landfill has become a breeding ground for disease-carrying insects, increasing public health risks. They further blamed artisans and sand sellers operating beneath the Mallam Interchange for allowing sand to wash into drains during heavy rains, worsening flooding in the area.
Every rainy season, we mourn preventable deaths, count destroyed homes and businesses, and listen to familiar promises from authorities that “measures will be taken.” Yet the next downpour exposes the same failures. The disturbing revelation from Mallam is an indictment of the state’s inability or unwillingness to enforce its own laws.
It is nothing short of outrageous that an illegal landfill can reportedly operate openly inside a watercourse, while being protected by heavily armed land guards. If indeed public officials cannot enter the area because criminals wield more power than state institutions, then Ghana faces a governance crisis far greater than flooding.
Floods are no longer natural disasters in the country; they are increasingly man-made tragedies. Every year, millions of cedis are spent dredging drains, repairing roads and compensating victims. Yet these investments are rendered meaningless when illegal dumping, indiscriminate development and criminal land-grabbing continue unchecked. The economic cost is staggering.
The environmental consequences are equally severe. Blocking natural waterways with refuse destroys ecosystems, contaminates groundwater and accelerates the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoeal infections. Stagnant floodwaters also create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of malaria. Public health experts have repeatedly warned that poor waste management and inadequate drainage remain major drivers of disease outbreaks in urban Ghana.
The Environmental Protection Agency, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly, the National Disaster Management Organisation, the Hydrological Services Department and the security agencies all have responsibilities touching drainage protection, sanitation and public safety. Yet residents claim illegal dumping continues daily while armed men intimidate anyone who attempts to stop it. Such allegations demand an immediate, transparent investigation.
The problem extends beyond Mallam. Across Accra, wetlands have disappeared under concrete. Ramsar sites have been encroached upon. Buildings continue to spring up in waterways despite planning regulations. Plastic waste clogs drains, while enforcement often ends with symbolic demolition exercises after disasters have already occurred.
Government cannot continue to declare annual flood preparedness exercises while allowing criminality to undermine every preventive effort. If armed land guards have indeed taken control of public waterways, then security agencies must treat the matter as a national security threat. There should be no safe haven for those who profit from environmental destruction.
This newspaper believes that authorities must immediately clear the illegal landfill, arrest and prosecute all individuals involved in its operation and provide adequate security for environmental officers to perform their lawful duties. The role of tricycle waste operators who dump refuse at unauthorised sites must also be investigated, while licensed waste disposal facilities should be strengthened to eliminate incentives for illegal dumping.
Above all, accountability must replace impunity. Ghana cannot continue to lose lives every rainy season because laws exist only on paper. The floods that have devastated communities in recent weeks should serve as a painful reminder that environmental negligence is not merely an administrative lapse, it is a threat to human life.
The real shame is not that the rains keep falling. It is that those entrusted with protecting the public continue to allow preventable disasters to unfold before our very eyes.
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