News:
July 2, 2026
Weija-Gbawe MP Jerry Ahmed Shaib says nation’s penchant for prayer and celebration while citizens perish reflects a deeper malaise.
As Ghana observed its second National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving on July 1, with gospel musicians leading praise and worship at the State House, Weija-Gbawe Member of Parliament Jerry Ahmed Shaib delivered a scathing indictment of what he called the nation’s disturbing embrace of mediocrity — celebrating and giving thanks while critical problems go unaddressed.
“We are always messing up with the minds of the Ghanaian people. Every time, settings. Every time, every now and then, settings,” Shaib said in a passionate statement, arguing that Ghanaians have become accustomed to performative gestures rather than meaningful action.
The MP’s remarks came just days after devastating floods claimed lives across the Greater Accra Region — including two women in his own constituency, one of whom could not be reached by ambulance because floodwaters had submerged her home.
‘Dancing for What?’
Shaib did not mince words about President John Dramani Mahama’s conduct during the crisis.
“I, the president was dancing,” Shaib said, referring to the president’s appearance at the Thanksgiving service. “This morning I was going to visit flood victims — two homes where people lost their lives. Two women. One, the ambulance couldn’t pick the woman up because the ambulance just couldn’t access the home. The second one is a 65-year-old woman. Just because of the flood, the home was submerged. And then the president is standing here and dancing, dancing for what?”
The MP also questioned the president’s decision to conduct an aerial tour of the flooded areas, asking: “He was watching them. Watching them for what? What kind of resolution?”
Government Taskforce ‘Missing in Action’
Shaib pointed to the government’s own anti-flood taskforce — inaugurated just one year ago and headed by Stan Dogbe — as emblematic of the nation’s failure to follow through on promises.
“He was the same person that set up the anti-flood taskforce. And he was headed by Stan Dogbe. Really, when the minister of the interior is even supposed to be the one chairing that taskforce, it’s too much,” Shaib said, adding that the taskforce has been “nowhere to be seen”.
“Nothing much has gone on since their formation,” he said, arguing that if the team had overseen the dredging of major storm drains, “the situation would be far better”.
GH¢300 Million Promise — ‘How Are You Even Going to Do It?’
Shaib also dismissed the government’s announced GH¢300 million flood relief package as yet another empty gesture.
“An issue will come up before you see that, oh, we are going to give you 300 million. And one 150 million is going to be for preventive measures and one 150 million for victims. How are you even going to do it?” he asked. “And I’m sure none of those monies will even get to the people we are talking about.”
‘Promises, Promises’
The MP drew attention to the recurring cycle of disaster and empty promises, noting that Ghana has four major river bodies in his constituency alone — the Law, the Coco Jaw, and others — yet flooding has become “unprecedented.”
“Everywhere you pass, there is galamsey,” he said, referring to the illegal mining that has choked water bodies across the country. “And then you come and see people, some of you can feel today, you will do this. Is it further in law or whatever is for law? In the splash manners, which will get manners? And then we still don’t see. They need to stop all of this.”
He lamented that despite President Mahama’s extensive experience — having served as vice president, then president, and now president again — little has changed.
“How long does President Mahama be president? How long does he be vice president? If you stop this kind of cheap politics,” Shaib said. “He’s the most experienced person as we speak right now. What he has to do with leadership in this country, he had the mandate of the people — he was president, he was vice president, he was president.”
“And then we keep talking about how you had it in the amount,” he added. “If he came in and he had worked on issues of storm drains… Promises, promises, we will do this, we will do that. And nothing is happening.”
‘God Helps Those Who Help Themselves’
Shaib concluded with a sharp rebuke of the national Thanksgiving celebration itself, suggesting that prayer without action is hollow.
“You think what does not help those who help themselves?” he said. “I feel it is irrelevant?”
The MP has previously called for a fundamental shift in Ghana’s approach to flood management, urging policymakers to move “beyond emergency responses” and adopt “long-term climate-resilient urban planning strategies”. He has also demanded accountability from government ministers and local authorities over flood mitigation efforts.
But on this day — as the nation paused to give thanks — Shaib’s message was clear: Ghana cannot celebrate its way out of a crisis it refuses to confront.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com