info@businessghana.com
The Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has demolished a number of illegal structures on watercourses in the Sakumo Ramsar site, near Tema.
The demolition, which followed recent floods in the Tema West Municipality that destroyed property, was undertaken by REGSEC in collaboration with the National Security and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
The team targeted structures built in the wetland, which were considered to be partly responsible for the devastating floods.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Akweley Ocloo, who led the operation yesterday, explained that the exercise was to restore the natural flow of flood water, reduce the risk of future floods while preserving the wetland.
Mrs Ocloo said the demolition exercise was to mitigate flooding issues, adding that it was part of a directive from the presidency to address flooding nationwide.
She bemoaned how the site had seen rapid development in spite of previous demolition efforts, and indicated that the REGSEC was committed to ensuring that this time around, people did not return to the site to continue development.
The minister emphasised the importance of addressing flooding, stating that the government was committed to taking every necessary action to halt illegal development
The Director-General of NADMO, Major Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon(Rtd), highlighted the importance of addressing encroachment on Ramsar sites to prevent flooding.
Major Kuyon said the current exercise was part of a larger effort to address flooding in Accra, adding that the greater goal was to preserve water basins.
He said NADMO, after the demolition, would support the Forestry Commission to promote greening of the environment to deter encroachment.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Tema West, Ludwig Teye Totimeh, said no building permits had been granted for the structures being demolished.
McDonald Owusu, a developer, kneeling to plead with the Greater Accra Regional Minister to spare his project from demolition
He attributed the recent flooding in the municipality to the illegal structures on the watercourse and stressed adhering to laws and regulations to prevent problems.
He said the Assembly would put in measures to prevent similar structures from being built in the future.
For her part, the MCE for Tema, Ebi Bright, who expressed concern about the impact of the developments on the ecosystem, attributed the unauthorised developments on the Ramsar site to corruption and greed among those with access to resources.
The Forestry Commission Site Manager, Thomas Acquah, said structures being demolished were within the core zone of the Ramsar site totalling 8.23 hectares, which was part of the larger 13.6 square kilometre site.
He said previous attempts to preserve the wetland encountered challenges and attacks from land guards.
