Taskforce crush buildings at Sakumono Ramsar site

It was a painful sight for owners of unauthorised buildings erected at the Sakumono Ramsar site on Tuesday when a taskforce invaded the area, demol­ishing structures to reclaim encroached lands.

The taskforce also stopped ongoing construction at the flood-prone zone.

The exercise, spearhead­ed by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mrs Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, in collaboration with the National Disaster Manage­ment Organisation (NADMO), the Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC), and various Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), was part of a broader plan to prevent future disasters.

Tuesday’s exercise followed a two-day demolition exer­cise held last month that saw more than 100 buildings and fence walls crushed.

The exercise, according to Mrs Ocloo, was a proactive measure to mitigate the impact of flooding and ensure public safety.

Despite the high level of resistance, she noted that, the exercise would continue until all illegal structures were brought down and the land restored to its ecologi­cal status.

The Director General of NADMO, Major Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, described the exercise as ‘very successful,’ highlighting that no physical obstructions or confronta­tions occurred.

By Cecilia Yada Lagba