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The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has disagreed with experts who are blaming Ghanaians for various problems facing the country especially when it comes to the rainy season.

According to him, when leaders implement rules or policies and ensure that those policies are adhered to, we will not be in this situation.

Kwesi Pratt was speaking to the recent flood and fire disaster that occurred at the Goil Filling station, Circle-Accra and which claimed the lives of almost 200 people.

Speaking on Radio Gold’s news analysis programme ‘Alhaji and Alhaji’, the Managing Editor said what happened was “a monumental failure of policy and leadership.

“The attitude of our leaders does not reflect any thinking; common sense has escaped from our leadership....I hear people say that we are responsible for the problem and not our leadership; then what is the purpose of leadership, if every citizen acts correctly and there are no problems then why do we have leaders…we have leaders because we have problems and it is the responsibility of leadership to solve those problems. Public officials who are paid…to ensure our health are sitting there doing nothing; they are doing absolutely nothing…" he said.

He described as appalling the fact that rubbish from desilted gutters in the city can still be seen at the 'banks of the gutters'.

"Unfortunately, our leadership; not only those in government but also those in opposition have not realised that the way forward out of the problems of Ghana is the mobilisation of the human resources we have…and all of them are telling us the same story...It cannot be the fault of one person; it cannot be the fault of the President…all of these happenings cannot be the fault of the President because this problem has persisted for scores of year" he added.

Demolition of Waterway structures

Many experts after the recent floods have been advocating for the demolition of waterway structures. According to them the floods occur because people have constructed buildings on water ways; blocking the flow of the water.

However, Kwesi Pratt says he will resist any attempt to demolish any structure especially when it is not done appropriately.

According to him, whenever there is going to be a demolition, authorities don't give prior notice and they often demolish structures of the poor knowing that they cannot do anything about it; asking 'have you seen a rich person's house being demolished before?'

 “I will continue to resist any demolition that deliberately targets the poor and saves the important, rich and prominent people whose houses are also in water ways...it is always the poor people that suffers and that must end...I am not saying don’t demolish the houses however those people must be informed ahead of time, given a temporary accommodation before the exercise is undertaken...we insist on justice for everybody. If houses on water ways ought to be demolished then everybody’s house must go it is not only the poor person's house that must go”, he said.