At night when the floods came, they swallowed homes, swept away memories, and left behind nothing but silence and mud where laughter once lived.
But into that silence, hope arrived over the weekend, riding on the back of trucks laden with rice, tomatoes, milk, and cloth, and driven by the conviction of one man who believes that wealth without compassion is nothing but noise.
Behind them was businessman and philanthropist Alhaji Seidu Agongo, who once again proved that true riches are not counted in cedis, but in lives touched and burdens lifted.
After the June floodwaters ravaged most parts of Accra, tore families from their homes and swallowed whole livelihoods in a matter of hours, Alhaji Agongo responded by delivering relief items valued at a staggering GH¢1.45 million directly into the hands of those who needed them most.
One after the other, residents of Mamobi, Nima (Beline Bridge), Alajo Assemblies of God, Alajo central and north, Quay Mensah and Kaneshie Station took turns to take their share, briefly replacing the aches from the losses with smiles and hope.
Earlier in the day, the trucks rolled in like a lifeline, carrying bags of premium perfumed rice, cartons of tin tomatoes, tins of milk, and bales of cloth, all meticulously chosen not just to feed bodies, but to restore dignity to families who had lost everything but hope.
Standing amidst submerged homes and shattered livelihoods at Mamobi, Alhaji Agongo, said he was not merely there to donate but to challenge and aim to awaken the conscience of his fellow business class to continue to support the underprivileged.
“It is disheartening to see the entire burden of this calamity resting squarely on the government’s shoulders,” he said.
“For me, we rise together, or we do not rise at all and so we cannot afford to be mere spectators while our brothers and sisters suffer.”
The donation is the latest in a long line of charitable interventions by Alhaji Agongo, who has over the years supported education and healthcare across Ghana by building and renovating schools, paying school fees for underprivileged students, and settling medical bills for vulnerable patients.
“As a Muslim, my faith teaches me that service to mankind is service to Allah,” he said.
“For us, giving is not a choice; it is a duty. It is humane and I am privileged that I can afford to share,” he added.
Leadership must act
Beyond the donation, Alhaji Agongo also called on state agencies to enforce the law against waste disposal, building on water ways and drainage desilting to help avoid the perennial flood and its attendant consequences.
He said it did not speak well of Ghana, which attained independence almost 70 years ago to be dealing with the same problem every year when the country has the right resources – from human resource to mineral and technical wealth to address the challenges and brief permanent relief to the people.
He noted that implementing the right measures may appear harsh at the beginning, but leadership needed to take the bull by the horn, as that would help bring lasting solution and smiles to people.
He advised against partnership in addressing the flood situation, noting that floods do not discriminate and the country has suffered the challenge since the 1980s, hence the need for a nonpartisan approach to solving the problem.