Greater Accra Regional Minister Orders Demolition of Illegal Sakumono Ramsar Structures

Accra, Ghana - 24 May, 2025 - In response to Accra's chronic flooding woes, Regional Minister Linda Ocloo has unveiled plans to tear down illegal structures on the Sakumono Ramsar site and buildings obstructing waterways in Tema and nearby areas, following a presidential directive from John Dramani Mahama.

The demolition exercise is set to commence after the confirmation of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executive (MMDCE) nominees in the region. Ocloo emphasized that there will be no exceptions, citing the consequences of previous inaction.

“This time, there will be no exceptions. We have all witnessed the consequences. If a building is on a waterway, it has to go,'' she stated.

“On Thursday, I received a call from the Presidency instructing us to move to Sakumono and Tema to ensure that the illegal structures are pulled down. We will take action to ensure that those buildings are removed,” she added.

The minister's comments were echoed by Member of Parliament for Klottey Korley constituency, Dr. Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings, who called on assembly members to collaborate in addressing encroachment on the Osu landing beach.

Dr. Rawlings highlighted the importance of protecting critical sites and preventing future demolitions, emphasizing the need for assembly members' support in tackling encroachment.

“The work you do is not only about the ongoing projects, it is also about some of the real challenges that the people are complaining about. So, when the MCE sees it himself and you are planning how the resources are to be shared, these things will feature in the plans,'' she stated.

“As you can see, the assembly needs to be empowered more. This is because you have the mandate and there are task forces at the assembly, and we have to protect the land.''

“We have to deal with this issue so that we don’t get to the point where we get to demolish people’s homes when we can prevent it in the first place.''

The government's efforts aim to promote sustainable development and reduce the risk of flooding in Accra.

Source: Lead News Online